Feds charge 55 in ‘takedown’ of California prison-based gang

Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Fifty-five people have been charged with conspiracy and racketeering-related crimes as part of a sweeping “takedown” of a California prison-based gang called La Nuestra Familia. Federal authorities unsealed 17 charging documents Thursday. One indictment focuses on seven people accused of leading the “violent and lucrative” gang from their prison cells. Prosecutors say the gang used hierarchical and paramilitary structures to control thousands of gang members across the region, including two San Jose-based gangs accused of drug trafficking, armed robbery and other crimes. Authorities say the gang is responsible for brutal street violence in northern and central parts of the state, and they hope the charges will dismantle the network.