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Pelican Bay Locks Down Over Plot to Kill Officers
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February 13, 2005 - Lt. Steve Perez, a spokesman for Pelican Bay State prison told the press on Friday that the top security prison declared a state of emergency and will isolate its prisoners for up to 6 weeks after it was discovered that there was an inmate plot to murder three correctional officers.
"The plan was sophisticated; it was to occur simultaneously; it was to be done at a particular time, on a particular yard," Perez told reporters. "The plan was revealed; the weapons were discovered and we continue to find weapons - the typical prison weapons."
It is still unknown at this time why the three officers were targeted directly, but prison officials are trying to find out. Perez said that the state of emergency was required to allow officials to search all cells methodically and interview about 1400 inmates.
"The people that were involved, the specific plan, how detailed it was, was such that it warrants this reaction on our part," added Perez. "As a result of that, we have slammed this prison down, we have locked it down and are going through our searching and interview process."
Perez revealed that the "Mexican Mafia" - who has a strong presence at Pelican Bay - was behind the plot. "These are sophisticated individuals, this Mexican Mafia organization," he said. This is the latest incident at the maximum-security prison since 1999, but officials were quick to act after last month's fatal stabbing of Officer Manuel Gonzalez at Chino State Prison.
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