Biography
Luis V. Rodriguez was an Apache/Chicano indigenous rights activist convicted in California of the murder of two police officers, a case supporters say was a frame-up tied to his organizing. Held at Kern Valley State Prison.
Luis V. Rodriguez was an Apache/Chicano activist. He was raised in an atmosphere of political and social involvement and later joined the Brown Berets, a Chicano-Native American militant organization, which formed against racism and other social injustices. Framed and convicted of killing two California Highway Patrol officers, Luis fought with determination to prove his innocence for 37 years.
He faced constant violence from guards at Pelican Bay State Prison where he was originally incarcerated; when he was beaten to the point of not be able to walk anymore, he was not provided a wheelchair or cane as a further act of cruelty. He later was moved to other prisons, fearing retaliation for a pending lawsuit and FBI investigation, and eventually died in 2016 at age 60.
Chicano political prisoner held in California's Pelican Bay State Prison, identified in PFOC Breakthrough magazine as part of the network of Chicano/Mexicano political prisoners supported by anti-imperialist organizing. Documented in PFOC Breakthrough magazine.
A November 3, 2015 order in Rodriguez v. Tilton, No. 2:08-cv-01028, names him Luis Valenzuela Rodriguez and identifies CDCR number C-33000 at R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. Magistrate Judge Allison Claire appointed Thomas Woods as limited-purpose pro bono counsel to review his civil-rights case, consider an amended complaint and respond to a renewed summary-judgment motion. The order establishes a dated prison location and litigation milestone, not a new conviction, transfer date or release. Source: https://cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/california/caedce/2:2008cv01028/176049/225/0.pdf
The November3,2015 federal order in Rodriguez v.Tilton individually names Luis Valenzuela Rodriguez and identifies his California prison register C-33000 at R.J.Donovan Correctional Facility. The same register appears with Luis Rodriguez in the Spring1993 Breakthrough roster. This supplies the full legal-name variant and the shorter published name for the existing Luis V.Rodriguez profile. Denver Anarchist Black Cross’s editorial notice separately corroborates his already recorded death in prison on April14,2016.
