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On Tuesday, five members of the notorious MS-13 gang were convicted for their roles in a series of brutal murders aimed at enhancing their status within the gang. These crimes involved victims being beaten, strangled, and in some cases, their bodies being disposed of by being tossed off cliffs in secluded mountainous areas near Los Angeles.
A jury in Los Angeles County handed down convictions to Walter Chavez Larin, 26; Roberto Alejandro Corado Ortiz, 30; and Edwin Martinez, 28. Each was found guilty of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act after a trial that lasted nine weeks, according to the Justice Department.
In addition to the RICO charges, Chavez and Corado were convicted of two counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder. Martinez faced three counts of VICAR murder. Meanwhile, Bryan Alexander Rosales Arias, 28, was also found guilty on one count of VICAR murder.
Erick Eduardo Rosales Arias, 27, the brother of Bryan Rosales, was similarly convicted on a single count of VICAR murder.
The convictions highlight the ongoing struggle against MS-13, a gang infamous for its violent tactics. The image of MS-13 graffiti defacing buildings in Los Angeles serves as a stark reminder of the gang’s presence and the severity of the crimes for which these members were held accountable. (Photo credit: John Alle/Santa Monica Coalition)
“We thank the jury for returning swift guilty verdicts against these MS-13 criminals who engaged in horrific acts of violence and murder,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “I thank and commend our law enforcement partners for their work in removing members of this terrorist organization from our streets. MS-13 is a violent brutal gang that must be eliminated from the United States, and we will not stop until we succeed in our mission.”
The defendants committed at least six murders of members of the rival 18th Street gang or MS-13 members who had violated the gang’s rules, federal prosecutors said.
Many of the victims were beaten and killed with baseball bats, machetes and knives in or near the Angeles National Forest.
In June 2017, one victim – who claimed he had a leadership role in MS-13 – was taken to the Angeles National Forest and stabbed and hacked to death by his killers, including Chavez, prosecutors said. Several of the assailants unsuccessfully tried to decapitate him before leaving his body behind.
In October 2017, another victim – rumored to be an 18th Street member – was lured to his death by two teenage girls. He was kidnapped, strangled, beaten with a baseball bat then fatally stabbed with a large hunting-style knife. Before his body was thrown off a cliff in the Angeles National Forest. This victim’s assailants included Corado and Bryan Rosales.
Sign for Angeles National Forest, California. (Getty ImagesThe Angeles N)
In July 2018, a third victim was lured to the hills near Malibu under the ruse of smoking marijuana and drinking beer with several other people.
While the victim stood at a scenic overlook, Corado shot him in the back of the head. Corado gave the gun to Erick Rosales, who shot the victim before passing the gun to other MS-13 members who took turns shooting him, authorities said.
The victim’s body ultimately was thrown off the edge of a road down a hill.
Prosecutors said Martinez murdered three victims – one of them was shot to death in December 2018 after returning from the gym and was mistaken for an 18th Street gang member. Another was an MS-13 associate addicted to methamphetamine, a violation of the gang’s rules, who was fatally shot on Jan. 13, 2019. A third was a homeless man who was fatally shot on Jan. 14, 2019 for having a tattoo believed to be related to 18th Street gang.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the violence “underscores the urgency of destroying MS-13 and putting its depraved members behind bars.”
“Under President Trump, MS-13 can no longer unleash terror on the American people with impunity: We will eradicate this foreign terrorist organization and secure justice for its victims,” she said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman noted the gang’s penchant for violence and its impact on communities in the region.
“MS-13 has inflicted unimaginable suffering on victims and their families in our communities,” he said.
A sentencing hearing for those convicted Tuesday is scheduled for July 2026.