In 1968,[7] Mexican American inmates of the California state prison system separated into two rival groups, Norteños (northerners)[8] and Sureños (southerners), according to the locations of their hometowns.

Norteños also use images of the Mexican American labor movement, such as the sombrero, machete, and the logo of the United Farm Workers, which is a stylized black Aztec eagle ("Huelga bird").

[12] On January 9, 2005, in Ceres, California, in Stanislaus County, Officer Sam Ryno was the first to respond to a call about a man with a gun in front of George's Liquors.

Modesto authorities discovered information during the investigation into the shooting that shows Raya was a Norteño gang member who was not involved in combat during his tour of duty in Iraq.

[14] In August 2013, a shooting done by a documented Norteño killed three people and wounded four others at Taco Choice, a Mexican restaurant and bar in Salinas, California.

In 2000 and 2001, 22 members were indicted on Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges, including several who were allegedly serving as high-ranking gang leaders while confined in Pelican Bay State Prison in northern California.

[8] In the aftermath of Operation Black Widow, the five highest-ranking leaders of the Norteños were transferred to a federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

[citation needed] On February 3, 2023, two alleged Norteño gang members, Noah David Beard and Angel "Nanu" Uriarte, were arrested for the January 16, 2023, murders of six people in Goshen, California.