[ENG] Nuestra Familia

Deuel Vocational Institution, California, 1966 - 1968 - 57 murders;

Soledad State Prison, California, 1972 - 19 murders;

San Quentin State Prison, California, 1975 - 1977 - 16 murders;

If not for a lack of data from open sources, this list could go on indefinitely. All forementioned statistics have a lot in common despite the difference in years and locations; all those murders are related to one of the bloodiest wars in history. War, which is invisible to most of the world, except for the imprisoned of the California penitentiary system, dates back to the 1960s.

This war is raging between two of the biggest prison gangs not only in the US, but in the whole world, and frequently affects society far beyond prison walls. The war between the Mexican Mafia, a.k.a La Eme, and Nuestra Familia, also referred to as La Nuestra Familia.

Origins

Nuestra Familia means “Our Family” in Spanish, a name that explicitly reflects the ideas its gang members carried in the beginning. According to FBI archives, the NF was formed between 1966 and 1968 in San Quentin State Prison. It emerged as a response to the drastic expansion of the Meximafia, and its purpose became clear almost immediately, as can be seen in the Deuel Institution statistics for 1966-68. Some sources specify 1968 as the year when Nuestra Familia was formally created, after a member of La Eme stole an unaffiliated prisoner’s shoes and stabbed him to death. This event led to the so-called “Shoe War” and established NF as the main rival of the Mexican Mafia.

Another ground for this eternal conflict was the origins of the inmates. While most MM members were from urban areas like Los Angeles, the majority of Familia members came out of rural environments and would often be labeled as “farmers”. The origins of these two organizations played a big role in the future, when La Eme members started identifying themselves as Surenos - Southers, therefore affiliated with Nuestra Familia identified themselves as Nortenos - Northerns. This division affected not only prisons but also the outside world. From that moment all «vassal gangs» to the Mexican Mafia became Surenos, and those paying tribute to NF became Nortenos, which escalated the situation on the streets.

Despite all this, it is worth noting that not all of Hispanic street gangs align themselves with one or another and remain independent; the Fresno Bulldogs are one such example.

Structure

Nuestra Familia is a “Blood In - Blood Out” organization, which means that its members cannot leave the gang in any way other than death. The Familia also drew inspiration from the military. Every new member was obliged to take an oath as follows:

“If I go forward, follow me. 

If I hesitate, push me. 

If they kill me, avenge me. 

If I am a traitor, kill me.”

Along with the oath, the NF stands out in that it has written “laws” and a manual of operations. In the past, every member was required to study it and take a proficiency exam.

The hierarchy of the Nuestra Familia used to resemble a military rank structure, with a Nuestra General at the top, followed by a certain number of captains, and an unlimited number of lieutenants and soldiers. However, according to recent arrests and press releases from California Attorney General’s Office this structure looks different nowadays.

Instead of a single general in charge, they had a three-general council along with a four-member “Inner Council” that had been controlling the gang for years. One of those arrested appeared to be a formal leader of Nuestra Familia, David “DC” Cervantes, who took over the gang back in 2001 when former leaders were transferred to the supermax prison ADX Florence in Colorado from Pelican Bay Prison which is considered the organization’s headquarters.

Symbols

Like any other gang, the Nuestra Familia has its own insignia, such as the number 14 that represents the letter “N” in the English alphabet; an image of a sombrero and a machete, which can often be seen as a tattoo on members’ bodies; and red clothing in general, especially bandanas. Another symbol that is often associated with the NF, but is more likely to be used by Norteno street gangs rather than NF members, is “Huelga bird” - the logo of the United Farm Workers of America.

Allies of Nuestra Familia

Considering that the Nuestra Familia is constantly in a state of war with the Mexican Mafia, which has close ties with the Aryan Brotherhood - another powerful gang of the US penitentiary, they most likely wouldn’t survive without any sort of support. Black Guerrilla Family appeared to be such.

According to the FBI archives, an “alliance” between the NF and the BGF was formed back in 1973 and continues until today, with a certain degree of success.

Black Guerrilla Family is a unique organization, as it was created by former Black Panthers, therefore has its own ideology, and even used to be considered a political organization.

Besides the BGF, there were also cases of Nuestra Familia partnering with Bloods and Crips, which makes sense, due to the members of the latter two sometimes joining the BGF when wind up in prison.

Of course, when speaking of allies of Nuestra Familia, their ties with Mexican drug cartels should be acknowledged. Precisely, La Familia Michoacana, it is known that the cartel had business with both La Eme and Nuestra Familia, according to press and DEA press releases.

Law Enforcement Actions Against Nuestra Familia

In the 21st century, the federal government began actively suppressing Nuestra Familia. Since the early 2000s, at least three major operations have been conducted, during which over a hundred members, including the gang’s leaders, were arrested and prosecuted. During one of the investigations, it was revealed that as of 2001, about 600 murders were directly linked to the Nuestra Familia.

In one of the 2024 police raids, the gang’s entire upper echelon was arrested, including 76-year-old David “DC” Cervantes.

Conclusion

Despite active efforts by the federal government to combat the gang on one side and the endless war with the Mexican Mafia on the other side, Nuestra Familia still maintains its presence in the underworld and remains one of the biggest prison gangs in the US. This shows how deeply gang culture is rooted in American society. Regardless of the efforts of federal and local authorities, organized crime remains an everyday occurrence and has become a kind of cultural phenomenon in its most negative sense.

In 2024 alone, 105 out of 184 homicides were linked to gang violence. Considering all the struggles society faces, such as the unemployment rate, widespread drug use, and the general economic decline, this number may increase dramatically in the near future, unless the government can properly define its priorities in a timely manner.