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The Red County Ledger “Four Dead in Six Weeks: Gang Activity in Blueberry Turns Structured” By Alicia Mora | July 2025 BLUEBERRY, RC — Authorities have linked a string of recent homicides to escalating gang presence in Blueberry, where investigators believe a group operating in the vicinity has established control over a growing narcotics trade. Four men have been killed since late June, two of them known residents of the Fresa Trailer Park with suspected ties to the group. Law enforcement has not issued official statements, but internal sources confirm the deaths are considered connected and consistent with territorial or disciplinary action. All remain under investigation. In the weeks following the killings, deputies have recorded a steady uptick in late-night drug activity, particularly concentrated around the Blueberry Projects, rural access roads through farmland, and isolated rest areas along Route 68. While individual seizures have been small, they show a diverse and high-quality supply: methamphetamine, marijuana and derivates, uncut cocaine, and pharmaceutical-grade opioids. Each recovery points to uniform packaging methods and suggests centralized handling and logistics. “It's not street-level chaos,” one official noted. “It’s quiet, structured.” Local traffic stops have led to multiple arrests involving individuals with Northern San Andreas priors. Vehicles are often unregistered or modified. Phones are wiped. Crazy Flakes Customs, a garage on the northern edge of town, had remained closed for several years before quietly reopening in early July. County records confirm the business is now registered under Edgar Benitez, known locally as Viriz, who was recently released on parole from Bone County State Prison. Benitez has prior convictions for firearms and narcotics possession but has fulfilled all terms of release under supervision. Edgar "Viriz" Benitez, pictured center in this frame taken from a low-budget music video circa 2010. Despite the increasing visibility, many locals remain cautious about openly discussing the gang’s influence. Fear of retaliation, combined with a lack of trust in law enforcement, has left much of the community silent or resigned. Several residents describe “La Yarda”, the projects in central Blueberry, as a place where loyalty and reputation carry more weight than official authority. The Sheriff’s Department has reportedly increased patrols in and around Blueberry, yet officers face challenges navigating a landscape marked by deep-rooted ties and unspoken codes. Previous efforts to intervene have been met with limited cooperation, and the current rise in violence and narcotics distribution complicates an already fragile balance. Experts on gang activity warn that Blueberry’s location makes it a strategic point for criminal networks seeking low-profile distribution channels between major urban centers. Whether this new chapter will lead to more stability through organized control or spiral into wider conflict remains uncertain. For now, Blueberry stands at a crossroads, caught between fading rural calm and an emerging street reality defined by coded markings, whispered warnings, and the cold calculus of survival.
