Members of L.A. gang that targeted blacks are convicted

In a case that federal prosecutors trumpeted as the “largest ever” of its kind, 10 members and associates of the Florencia 13 street gang were convicted Monday on a range of federal charges, including racketeering, drug trafficking and attempted murder.

The verdicts followed a 3 1/2-month trial in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana in which prosecutors told jurors of a widespread criminal enterprise directed by Mexican Mafia members, both on the street and in prison.

The gang controlled drug distribution in unincorporated areas south of Los Angeles and in Huntington Park and collected “rent” from people who wanted to commit crimes in the area the gang controlled, prosecutors alleged.

The gang drew wide notoriety for allegedly shooting indiscriminately at African Americans who came into the neighborhoods in which it operated.

The defendants convicted Monday were among 102 gang members charged in four related indictments that stemmed from an investigation dubbed “Operation Joker’s Wild.”

To date, 76 of the defendants have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial. Those convicted Monday were scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 9 by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter.

--Scott Glover

Photo: Los Angeles Times

Martin Magdaleno, who works for a graffiti removal company, paints over graffiti on the side of a garage in the Florence-Firestone area.

Comments

[A L Fleming]

In the past I would agree that Spanish or Latino should come to American for a piece of the pie. But, now that I am older and wiser I have found that older Hispanics are teaching their children to fear, dislike, distrust, and compete with Blacks in this country, I am a counselor who taught K-12 grades. Therefore, I have talked to various age groups at various institution. And remember Hispanics voted only 2% for Obama even though he is and was the most qualified canidate in the race. This black on brown hate won't stop until Hispanics realize that when the rich and white (which is the demonating factor in this equation see them they see a worker who can save them money. DIVIDE AND CONQUER the oldest trick in the book. BTW 80% or more "latinos" in this country do embody high percentages of their Native blood but, they don't acknowledge it whats up with that?

[Buffy Franklin]

There is no such identity as "illegal" or "bastard" or other abbrrations as it relates to mankind. There is illegal thinking, entitlement to work in a foreign land without paying taxes to support this much-often and admired infra-structure called the United States; to receive U.S. Goverment entitlement programs, i.e., WIC, food stamps, AFDC and SSI to an entire generation of 1st, 2nd and 3rd tier families based on one or two "anchor babies" to be subsidied by public aid while these same families work under assumed names or "under the table" for cash; to as to black-market our nation's economic and steal jobs and destroy unions for corporate conglomerates only to demand these same benefits as as reward for the stolen jobs they now possess that so many American fought and died for. No, there are no illegal people, only illegal thoughts - as a man thinketh...

Why not return those to the country of their birth and support their efforts to establish their countries for democratic rule for the people and by the people and help these people to leave America and go back to their "beautiful" land.

[Shonda Brown]

Look, all these comments about "sending them back" are rediculous. First off, this part of the United States was in fact THEIR country(along with Native Americans) before President Polk came along with his vision of "Manifest Destiny". The rest of us are the true immigrants AND THAT'S OK. Well, except me because I'm a 1/16 Hobi Indian :-)But I digress.

This country was built by immigrants....Irish, English, German, Chinese, African, etc. Some came willingly, others not so much...but we're all here now & like it or not, we have to live together.

Yes, those scumbags are where they belong...in prison. But lets not hate because of a few idiots...they come in all colors and nationalities.

[Eddie]

The ignorant comments about now sending them back to there country is so red neck and old fashion. Deal with it and learn to live in Los Angeles or go back to your own state AVRIL!

[ciara]

This is for KAYSER9SOZE, while some of the comments were brutal they were honest, and as for people being here illegally such as Africans and Europeans. Well let me enlighten you on somethings one the Africans were taken from there homes, beaten raped, and kidnapped they had no choice in the matter 20years ago.

In todays society you hardly ever see African people in the news, but you do consistantly see hispanic from robbery to rape to gang violence and most of the time when there in the news they were not born in this country and aren't supposed to be here but yet they just don't seem to want to follow the rules. So yes when you don't follow rules you should be punished but if you don't belong here any way and you still can't seem to do the right thing no matter what race you are you should be sent home.

If you notice when the Haitans try to come here illegally they get shot down why is that because people fear they will not be productive members in society and will start trouble, so they don't get the chance to come here and mess up. That's my point when you aren't supposed to be here you try to do the right thing and they weren't so yes they need to go back to their country

[Patty]

Regarding the comment of deportation what about when black people kill a latino where do we send that black person? If you recall a lot of white people don't even like blacks so you need to shut up acting like they're gonna take your side! IGNORANT!

[Lamon]

Good they always messing with blks regardless if they bang or not deport them!!!!
I lived in L.A for three years an they are really on some racial stuff hard.

[Zach]

Kayser9soze, I think most of the people are talking about MODERN laws. Just because settlers came over here and displaced indigenous populations doesn't mean that no laws or borders can ever be established or enforced. Today every nation has had migrations of people, every nations enforces borders, every nations controls immigration. That's the modern world. There's nothing "insensitive" about pointing out that some of these criminals shouldn't have been here, and perhaps wouldn't have been if our laws had been enforced. Lumping them together with legal immigrants for the sake of cohesion, now that's insensitive.

[tired of illegal violent immigrants]

get them out the country and lock up the damn borders! What happened to the walls and we should put some type of electric current in the Rio Grande?

[NIKKI]

WE NEED TOUGHER LAWS TO REALLY DEAL WITH THIS PROBELM. OUR KIDS ARE NOT SAFE AND THE PROBELM WILL JUST GROW IF WE DONT WORK ON A REAL SOLUTION. IF SOMEONE IS HERE ILLEGALLY AND ARE KILLING AND CAUSING ALL THIS EVIL, DEPORTING THEM WONT HELP. THEY WILL EASILY SNEEK BACK IN AND MAKE OUR COUNRETY WORSE. LOCK THEM UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY FOREVER!! AND BILL THEIR COUNTRY FOR IT. MAYBE THEN THEIR COUNNRTY WILL BE MORE TOUGH ON THE CRIMINALS IF THEY WERE TO BE SENT BACK TO THEIR COUNRTY.

[Armando Broncas]

The conviction of these individuals is just another stunt. How is it that originally [they] were arrested for racial motivated crimes (or Genocide by the media) - but NO was convicted of murder. I read the entire arrest report and it appears to be a case of suburban Officers misunderstanding the Los Angeles urban gang culture.

Violence between Brown and Black gangs is nothing new. Since the 80s and 90s, few gangs from these two groups have been at odds, South Los & Hoovers for example - but the majority has directed the violence among their own groups. How come this version of the story is not written by the Times? It wasn't until the mainstream media began to over sensationalize the conflict between these two gangs and others that got the "Joe Plummers" from above interested in this topic.

As a resident of the Florence-Firestone district, I am bothered by the original coverage and outcome of this story. To the LA Times story tellers (not writers) who first wrote about this story - you should be held accountable for using the word "Genocide" to sell your story and for the lives that were lost due to this media fabricated race war.

[Dominique Hernandez]

Their legal status is NOT the issue at hand. Immigration law is a whole other story. We are talking about cold-blooded murder...senseless crime. Police gang units should continue to seek and arrest these groups of inidividuals who lack any responsibility.

By the way, I agree with KAYSER9SOZE....the ignorant immigration comments need to stop. We perpetuate hate with such nonsense. Let's come together to protect our communities and...acknowledge those who do work hard, whether "illegal" or not.

[Nanci]

any gangs from here or other countries, they should long serve sentences in jail. There is no excuse for the careless way we view life today. Half of these guys going to die in prison, why they get older they will look back and see how they wasted their lives while they could be doing a good deed for society and the youth. These gang members need to learn a serious lesson, I heard recently their is also haitian and african gangs, better watch themselves because they sentences should be long, let them die in prison, they will learn a lesson or be an example for who wants to act so lawless

[KAYSER9SOZE]

With all due respect to the insensitive comments about deportation and what not..is anyone here really here legally? As far as I know anyone that's here now as a multi generation american came over on a boat or across a river too..so please educate yourself before you start talking about illegals..as none of the europeans or africans that arrived in this country had a visa/permission to be in this country..plus when Los Angeles was a wasteland it wasn't the latino's that made it that way. Actually when people from Mexico started migrating into California it flourished..don't believe me..well let's look at California in the 50's and look what it's become since.

Regarding the gang violence, I agree that they should lock them up and throw away the key. I as an educated and hard working person of hispanic descent am embarrassed at this behavior. It is astonishing at how far down our culture has fallen.

[Gordonc]

ITS GOOD THEY'VE BEEN CONVICTED, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH. NOW GET THEM OUT OF THIS COUNTRY AND BACK INTO THEIR OWN. I'M SURE MORE THAN HALF OF THEM WERE ILLEGAL ANYWAY. WHITES, BLACKS, ASIANS, ETC. ALL NEED TO ACT COLLECTIVE TO VOICE OUR OUTRAGE AT THE ONGOING ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT IS BEING TOLERATED IN OUR STATE. MORE THAN 90% OF EVENING NEWS REPORTS ON CRIME INVOLVE HISPANICS. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

I agee most of them are illegal get them out..

[Jessica]

I think is really messed up that they would do such thing if anything everybody needs to stop the beefing and the fighting between races. We have a new president and is like he says it's time for a change and we need to change for the best it ain't always easy but in order to have a good life you have to. Also I don't think conviction was enough they need more punishment it's just not fair and they really don't run nothing because they are latinos either they are immigrants or their parents were so they don't really got a say so in this.

[JT Fuller]

I agree with you AVRIL - and since you are probably not "Native American" you tooo should get out of this country you racist bastard!

JT Fuller

[Edwin A. Mendoza]

The Mexican Mafia has been a juggernaut in implementing their agenda in the Hood and the Barrio. it has also supplanted the abuse of police authorities. The number of gang members used to be a huge number. It is very manageable today because of denunciations that put at risk the stability of the local economy in areas neglected by the mainstream policymakers.

Today's ruling has set a precedent for all gangs, in and out of the prison system. It wasn't until the 1992 Riots that the mainstream media provided any sustained attention to this part of the world. In turn, there is growing interest in the Community to reach out for alternatives to a Black Market system.

I have lived in South Central and in Huntington Park. I have through most of the Gang Turfs claimed by the F13. I will always advocate for non-violent means to achieving our desired ends. I am involved with programs which offer outlets to the rigors of the lifestyle associated with gang affiliations. But these programs require personnel and resources that are difficult to acquire during the current financial conditions. At the very least, this landmark case will raise interest in and around the community by the children society must raise, and financial sponsors.

[tzmn]

Now why aren't these people convicted of these crimes just shot immediately following the verdicts? Hey we aren't reforming them and it's obvious we're losing the drug/gang war, why not make it a real deterrent for others, and society safer for the rest us...

[Wayne]

"Those convicted Monday were scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 9 by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter."

It takes NINE MONTHS to sentence someone in California?

[b_reynaldo]

And not one mention in the article that the said gang members are
Latino.

[Mike]

Good work!

[AVRIL]

ITS GOOD THEY'VE BEEN CONVICTED, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH. NOW GET THEM OUT OF THIS COUNTRY AND BACK INTO THEIR OWN. I'M SURE MORE THAN HALF OF THEM WERE ILLEGAL ANYWAY. WHITES, BLACKS, ASIANS, ETC. ALL NEED TO ACT COLLECTIVE TO VOICE OUR OUTRAGE AT THE ONGOING ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT IS BEING TOLERATED IN OUR STATE. MORE THAN 90% OF EVENING NEWS REPORTS ON CRIME INVOLVE HISPANICS. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.