FRESNO, Calif. — In a major blow to the Nuestra Familia gang, the last five defendants in a series of high-profile cases have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the organization’s methamphetamine trafficking operations.
Calixtro Israel Sanchez, 26, of Hanford, pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of methamphetamine trafficking. Sanchez, also known as Cali Killa, was one of the last defendants to be brought to justice in the case.
The five defendants who pleaded guilty this week are the last of 39 accused members and associates of Nuestra Familia, a violent Hispanic prison gang with roots in California’s prison system. The gang’s members exert control over Norteño street gang members who participate in methamphetamine trafficking and violent crimes throughout the Central Valley region.
According to court documents, between 2009 and 2010, Nuestra Familia trafficked methamphetamine through the distribution of the drug and collecting debts in Kings, Tulare, Kern, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, and Fresno counties. The gang obtained large shipments of methamphetamine from Mexico and distributed it to Nuestra Familia groups in California and other locations. Some of the profits from this trafficking were used to fund imprisoned gang members to maintain their power structure within the prison system.
“This is a major victory for law enforcement in the Central Valley,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner. “The collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies in this region has made it possible to take down one of the most violent gangs in California.”
“Organized prison gangs and other drug traffickers are responsible for the increase in violence in our communities,” said Joseph M. Riehl, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “This investigation is an excellent example of superior teamwork and collaboration between many law enforcement agencies with a successful conclusion of the investigation and prosecutions.”
Twenty-six of the defendants who pleaded guilty have already been sentenced to prison. Nine of them received sentences of between 10 and 16 years in prison, while the remaining 17 received sentences of between four and 10 years in prison. In the federal system, parole has been abolished, and all defendants will have to serve at least 85 percent of their prison time.
This case is the result of a long-term investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; the DEA; the Kings County Narcotics Task Force; the California Department of Justice; and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Many local law enforcement agencies also played a significant role in the investigation, including the Hanford, Lemoore, Visalia, Los Banos, and Corcoran police departments, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez, Kathleen A. Servatius, and Melanie L. Alsworth.
Sanchez’s sentencing is pending.
Related Federal Cases
- Ramon Morales Jr., Methamphetamine Importation and Firearms Trafficking, California 2023 · Idaho
- John Angel Sanchez, Methamphetamine Possession, California 2023 · Kansas
- Luis Miguel Castro, Methamphetamine Trafficking, California 2023 · Colorado
- Baldemar Valencia Alcazar, Methamphetamine Trafficking, California 2015 · Kansas
- Ricardo Lujan, Cocaine and Methamphetamine Trafficking, California 2016 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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