Police Raid Nets Four Guns, Suspected Nuestra Familia Gang Member

Police found four handguns and arrested a suspected Nuestra Familia prison gang member when they raided a home on the 100 block of Holly Drive on Friday.

The search warrant, gun seizure and arrest resulted from the police department's recent push to quell gang crime. An increase in and shootings—two of which put small children in the crossfire—prompted Watsonville Police Chief Manny Solano to request assistant from the county's Anti-Crime Team, the county's Gang Task Force and the FBI.

"Our impact is we're just trying to get guns off the street," Watsonville Police Sgt. Saul Gonzalez said.

One of the four guns seized Friday may have been used in a recent shooting, police said. However, the man arrested at the house, Gilbert "Bumper Jack" Guzman, 33, has not been connected to any of the shootings or gunpoint heists, according to Gonzalez.

"We don't have any way to link the guns to the robberies," Gonzalez said.

Police said they did find items in the home that tie Guzman to Nuestra Familia, . Also, Guzman is the brother of Freddy Guzman, who was arrested in 2009 for a prison-ordered gang assault.

Gilbert Guzman is the second Nuestra Familia member arrested in Watsonville in the past two weeks.

On May 24, the same team of police agencies arrested . Martinez, 35-year-old a wanted parolee, was reputed to be one of the highest-ranking Nuestra Familia members outside of the prison system.

Police ask anyone with information regarding gang activity is encouraged to call the Watsonville Police Investigations Bureau at 768-3350 or the tip line at 768-3544.