10 Nuestra Familia Associates Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking

by Patrice Spears , December 7, 2022

Photo: Stock Image

In 2019, Operation Red Reaper combined efforts from the Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and set out to target criminal activities linked to the Nuestra Familia Prison Gang in Tulare and Kings Counties.

Today 10 of those defendants pled guilty on drug trafficking charges. The defendants are Raymond Lopez (35), Jesse Juarez (32), Daniel Juarez (30), Michael Rocha (40), Angel Montes (26) Rafael Lopez (41), Manuel Barrera (28), Joann Bernal (36), Ramon Amador (33), and Raul Lopez Jr. (51). 2 additional defendants were sentenced after pleading guilty. Salvador Castro Jr. (52) sentenced to 17 yrs. The other was Manuel Garcia (36) sentenced to 15 yrs.

Barrera, Amador, Montes, and Raul Lopez are scheduled for sentencing on March 6, 2023. The other defendents will be sentenced on March 20, 2023. The sentences could be anywhere between 5-15 years in prison for the minimum charges and up to life in prison for the more serious charges.

In total Operation Red Reaper brought 23 defendants up on federal charges. The remaining defendants are being charged by the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.

The court documents revealed that the investigation of both the Nuestra Familia Prison Gang and the Norteno Street Gang, showed that the Nuestra Familia was trafficking large amounts of Methamphetamine and Cocaine along with firearms and other crimes.

The court documents also showed that 2 of the high-ranking members of the Nuestra Familia Salvador Castro Jr., and Raymond Lopez were using contraband cell phones inside Fresno County’s Pleasant Valley State Prison. Using the cell phones they were able to coordinate the transport of the narcotics from connections in California and Mexico to a stash house in Kings County. Gang members at the stash house then prepared the drugs for distribution and coordinated delivery of the narcotics to the distributers in both Tulare and Kings Counties.

Prosecuting the case are U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio, Kimberly A. Sanchez and Jessica A Massey.

The remaining defendants that have yet to appear in court have pending charges and are considered allegations until they are proven in a court of law.

This case is part of much larger operation called Project Safe Neighborhoods. This project has many law enforcement agencies that are working together to reduce violent and gun violence crimes in our communities. They are working to get dangerous and violent offenders off the street before future crimes occur.