Red Family

Red Family
Leader(s)	Oberon Church (kingpin) Jan Sandoval (co-founder)
Location	Federal space
Type	Criminal syndicate
Purpose	Profit from criminal activity
Dissolved	August 2, 3305

The Red Family was a decades-old criminal syndicate that operated within Federation territory. In addition to trafficking illegal narcotics, the Red Family had also been known to corrupt Federal politicians and provide shady, albeit technically legal, financial contributions to legitimate businesses. The cartel was led by Oberon Church, one of the Federation's most wanted criminals. In 3305, one of the Red Family's founders, Jan Sandoval, surrendered to the Federal Intelligence Agency and provided vital information that was used to dismantle her organization. Sandoval had turned against Church after he had revealed plans to mass-produce and distribute a dangerous, extremely addictive narcotic.

Timeline

02 AUG 3305

• The Federal Intelligence Agency has declared that its campaign against the Red Family cartel is drawing to a close. As observed by Ethan Takahashi, crime correspondent for The Federal Times: "In terms of effective action, this has to be considered a great victory for the FIA. A series of coordinated strikes against the Red Family delivered a mortal blow, and the cartel's super-addictive narcotic was destroyed before it could be mass-produced. While kingpin Oberon Church remains at liberty, it is unlikely that he could ever rebuild his empire. Still, losing one of the most wanted criminals in the Federation must be frustrating for the agency." Internal investigations continue regarding Jan Sandoval's death in custody. No conclusive evidence has been uncovered, but many believe that Sandoval could not be reached without the assistance of FIA personnel. "It is not unreasonable to assume that individuals within the FIA have been bought by Church," said Takahashi.

26 JUL 3305

• Jan Sandoval, co-founder of the Red Family cartel, has died while in the custody of the Federal Intelligence Agency. Executive Agent Viola Trask made the following statement: "I regret to announce that Jan Sandoval has been found dead in the safe house where she was being held. An autopsy revealed traces of a highly sophisticated neurotoxin that our security measures were unable to detect. We have yet to determine how the neurotoxin was administered, or how the individual responsible accessed the safe house. Internal investigations are underway, but we suspect that the assassin has already fled the Sol system." It is believed that surviving elements of the Red Family arranged this second, successful attempt on Sandoval's life in response to her cooperation with the Federal Intelligence Agency. The FIA's operation against the cartel will continue, but the loss of its primary intelligence source has to be considered a significant setback.

19 JUL 3305

• The Red Family cartel has suffered enormous losses following a series of strikes carried out by the Federal Intelligence Agency. Crime correspondent Ethan Takahashi summarised his report in The Federal Times: "In a coordinated operation spanning multiple systems, FIA troops raided hidden Red Family bases and manufacturing plants. Dozens of cartel members were killed in combat and thousands more arrested, while vast amounts of illegal substances were seized." The narcotics kingpin Oberon Church spent decades establishing his empire, but with such catastrophic losses it has been virtually dismantled. Members of Federal Congress have congratulated the FIA for 'removing this blight on Federal society'. Executive Agent Viola Trask suggested that "this success was only possible due to the detailed information volunteered by Jan Sandoval, one of the Red Family's founders." It is widely assumed that Church's arrest will follow soon, effectively eliminating the cartel.

11 JUL 3305

• Jan Sandoval, a founder of the Red Family cartel, has revealed why she surrendered to the Federal Intelligence Agency. According to Executive Agent Viola Trask, Sandoval has provided proof that the Red Family has developed a new designer narcotic, genetically engineered to be far more addictive than all other substances traded on the black market. "It's clear that such a narcotic would ruin billions of lives throughout Federal space," said Trask. "Sandoval sees herself as a businesswoman, not a mass murderer. Such an operation is incompatible with her principles. Sandoval also explained that she failed to prevent cartel kingpin Oberon Church from manufacturing the new product, leaving her with no choice but to request help from the proper authorities. For this, I commend her. Using additional details contained within this testimony, FIA field agents are already engaged in disrupting Red Family operations. We are confident that we can finally bring down this notorious criminal empire."

05 JUL 3305

• The Federal Intelligence Agency headquarters in Olympus Village has been infiltrated by a mercenary unit attempting to murder Jan Sandoval, one of the Red Family cartel's founders. Executive Agent Viola Trask gave an account to the press: "This was an extraordinary breach of the FIA's most secure location. The mercenaries were highly trained professionals carrying false identification to bypass initial checks. It's clear that they were targeting Sandoval, who is currently in protective custody at FIA headquarters. Fortunately, our security systems exposed the intruders before they could reach her, and the threat was swiftly neutralised. This assassination attempt reinforces our belief that the information Sandoval offers is not only genuine but also a legitimate threat to the Red Family's existence. Interviews with Sandoval are ongoing, and we are reviewing her testimony in detail."

29 JUN 3305

• Jan Sandoval, a known founder of the infamous Red Family drug cartel, has unexpectedly handed herself in to the Federal Intelligence Agency. Executive Agent Viola Trask gave a summary of this development: "It's not unheard of for criminals to present themselves at FIA headquarters in Olympus Village, but Sandoval is by far the most notorious individual to do so. Sandoval has stated that she is willing to testify against all prominent members of the cartel, an action that would effectively dismantle it. She has been placed in protective custody, and I will be personally handling her case." The Red Family is a well-established syndicate that supplies illegal narcotics across multiple systems. Within its hierarchy, Sandoval is believed to be second only to kingpin Oberon Church, who is among the most wanted criminals in the Federation.

14 SEP 3304

• An anonymous source has revealed that Maddox Hurd, owner of technology company Herculean Machines, was previously investigated by the Federal Security Service. The source shared recently declassified FSS records on the Rewired news channel, and stated: "When establishing Herculean five years ago, Maddox Hurd accepted financial contributions from individuals connected to organised-crime networks, such as the Red Family. While Hurd did not technically break the law, the FSS has kept a close eye on him ever since." In the wake of this news, a number of Herculean Machines' corporate investors withdrew their support. Maddox Hurd told the media: "This is a smear campaign, and those underhanded snakes at Supratech are behind it!" Scorpio DeVorrow, CEO of rival company Supratech, declined to comment, but Harlow Nassry, technology journalist at The Federal Times, observed: "With Herculean Machines losing investment and Supratech's facility destroyed, both companies are in a compromised position. Unless they can drum up additional support, neither will be able to unveil their new designs at the Rackham Ultratech Expo in October."

24 AUG 3304

• An exclusive exposé published by The Mars Tribune has revealed that a member of Federal Congress has close ties to a criminal organisation. The extensive feature began with this summary: "Congressman Morgan Unwin has been in debt to the notorious Red Family cartel for nearly a decade. Information uncovered by our reporters proves that he has used his influence to traffic enormous quantities of the cartel's drugs in order to keep his own addiction secret." Following publication of the feature, Mr Unwin was arrested by the Federal Security Service, and now faces expulsion from Congress. An investigation into Red Family's narcotics operation in Olympus Village is also underway. A spokesperson for Congress made this statement: "We are indebted to The Mars Tribune for uncovering a criminal conspiracy that might otherwise have continued undetected. This highlights the value of investigative journalism to the Federation." The Tribune's billionaire owner, Kingsley Cordova, has been invited to a special event by Congress to express its gratitude. As well as The Mars Tribune, his conglomerate Cordova Group runs many small companies in the Sol system.