Norteños
| Founded | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Salinas, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1968–present |
| Territory | Mostly in Northern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington (state), Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Mexico, Texas, |
| Ethnicity | Primarily Mexican Americans but also Mexicans, Salvadoran Americans, Black Americans, White Americans |
| Criminal activities | |
| Allies | Nuestra Familia, Bloods, Crips, Black Guerilla Family, Latin Kings, People Nation, Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel |
| Rivals | Fresno Bulldogs, Sureños, MS-13, Mexican Mafia, Aryan Brotherhood, 18th Street gang, White Fence, Border Brothers, Tiny Rascal Gang, Oriental Troopz, Mongols MC |
| Notable members | Ryan Mitchell Wood |
Norteños (Spanish pronunciation: [noɾˈteɲos], lit. 'Northerners'; Norteñas for females) are the various affiliated gangs that pay tribute to Nuestra Familia while in California state and federal correctional facilities. Norteños may refer to Northern California as Norte Califas. They are one of the most powerful and violent criminal organizations in the United States. Their biggest rivals are the Sureños from Southern California. As of 2008, the statewide north–south dividing line between Norteños and Sureños was regarded as running through the southern end of the Central Valley. The gang's membership consists primarily of Mexican Americans.