"United we stand, divided we fall. We gotta pull the Families back together!" - Sweet Johnson
Reuniting the Families is the explosive climax of the early Los Santos storyline in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Frustrated by internal rivalries between the Grove Street Families, Temple Drive Families, and Seville Boulevard Families, Sweet organizes a secret peace summit at the Jefferson Motel to unite the sets against the rival Ballas and Vagos.
However, the Los Santos Police Department and SWAT tactical units breach the summit in an overwhelming ambush. Big Smoke and Ryder abandon the motel in their Greenwood, leaving Carl Johnson to battle through heavily armed SWAT teams, rescue Sweet from the roof, shoot down a police helicopter, and survive a high-speed vehicle escape.
Mission Briefing and Objectives
- Mission Giver: Sweet (Ganton, Los Santos)
- Location: Jefferson Motel, Los Santos
- Target Difficulty: Hard
- Reward: Respect +
- Recommended Loadout: Full Body Armor, Combat Shotgun or Pump Action Shotgun, AK-47 or M4, SMG with 500+ rounds.
Recommended Preparation and Weapons
Do not start this mission under-geared. You will face more than 30 SWAT officers wearing heavy tactical gear:
- Free Body Armor: Grab the free body armor pickup located underneath the overpass canal bridge behind Sweet's house in Ganton.
- Shotgun Power: Shotguns deal lethal one-hit eliminations in the tight hallways of the motel. If you need free firepower, visit our Hidden Weapons Locations Guide to grab weapons without spending cash at Ammu-Nation.
Step-by-Step Tactical Walkthrough
Phase 1: Driving to the Jefferson Motel
Enter the Greenwood parked outside Sweet's house with Sweet, Big Smoke, and Ryder. Drive north through Idlewood into Jefferson. Park inside the yellow marker outside the Jefferson Motel. Sweet enters the summit while CJ, Smoke, and Ryder wait in the parking lot. Moments later, an LSPD chopper appears, and SWAT tactical vans surround the building. Big Smoke and Ryder speed away in the car, leaving CJ on foot.
Phase 2: Breaching the Motel Corridors
Enter the motel through the front double doors. The interior is swarming with SWAT officers armed with Micro-UZIs and shotguns:
- Crouch immediately upon entering to improve your weapon accuracy and reduce your hit profile.
- Use corner-peeking around corridor junctions. Do not sprint into open hallways blindly; SWAT commandos drop down from ceiling skylights behind you.
- Check motel rooms on the left. In one room, a woman will offer CJ a kiss that restores his health bar to 100%.
- Use the soda vending machines in the central hallway to replenish lost hit points if needed.
- Push up the stairs to the upper balcony, clearing officers one room at a time until you reach Sweet's door.
Phase 3: The Rooftop Helicopter Battle
Follow Sweet up the ladder onto the motel roof. An LSPD police helicopter sweeps overhead with snipers firing down onto the roof deck:
- Immediately switch to your AK-47 or M4 assault rifle.
- Keep an eye on Sweet's health bar at the top of your screen; if snipers focus on him, he will go down quickly.
- Target the four SWAT officers rappelling from the chopper ropes first to stop them from landing.
- Aim sustained automatic rifle fire directly into the helicopter cockpit and main rotor mast. Within two full magazines, the helicopter catches fire, loses tail control, and crashes.
Phase 4: The Highway Pursuit Shootout
Follow Sweet down the fire escape stairs. Big Smoke and Ryder reappear in the Greenwood. Sweet hops in the passenger seat while CJ leans out the back window with an AK-47 to handle pursuing police forces:
- Shoot the Patrol Car Tires: Aiming at the front tires of pursuing LSPD cruisers causes them to spin out and flip into oncoming traffic instantly.
- Eliminate Motorcycle Cops: Motorcycle officers move rapidly and shoot with pinpoint accuracy. Aim at the riders' torsos to knock them off their bikes.
- Repel Windshield Jumpers: When motorcycle cops leap onto the Greenwood's hood, shoot them immediately before they can smash through the glass and injure Smoke.
- The chase concludes with a famous scripted cinematic where the Greenwood bursts through an exploding billboard and drops onto a fuel tanker below.
Video Walkthrough: Reuniting the Families
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you destroy the police helicopter on the motel roof?
Aim directly at the helicopter's cockpit windshield or top rotor blades using an AK-47, M4 rifle, or Combat Shotgun. Firing continuous bursts into the engine housing will set the helicopter smoking and force it to spiral down into the parking lot within 15 seconds.
How do you recover health inside the Jefferson Motel?
Inside the motel corridors, check the vending machines near the central lounge to purchase Sprunk soda for $1 per can to refill CJ's health bar. You can also walk into open hotel rooms to kiss women who grant a quick health restoration.
How do you stop the motorcycle cops from killing CJ during the car chase?
When police HPV-1000 motorcycles pull alongside the Greenwood, target the motorcycle drivers directly in the chest or head rather than the bikes. If an officer jumps onto the hood of the car, shoot him point-blank before he can kick through the windshield.
Can Sweet die inside the Jefferson Motel during the shootout?
Yes. Sweet has a visible health bar during the rooftop firefight. If you take too long to eliminate the SWAT snipers or fail to shoot down the police helicopter quickly, Sweet will succumb to gunfire, triggering mission failure.
What weapons are best for Reuniting the Families?
Bring a Combat Shotgun or standard Pump Shotgun for tight indoor corridor battles, an AK-47 or M4 assault rifle for the rooftop helicopter battle, and full body armor before starting the mission at Sweet's house.