Two members of an Orange County street gang have been found guilty of killing a man during an attempted armed robbery under the direction of the Mexican Mafia, authorities said.
The Mexican Mafia, also called La Eme, is the “most dominant” Latino street gang in Southern California, according to the US Department of Justice.
Imprisoned Mafia leaders order gang members to commit acts of violence against prisoners and collect part of the proceeds from drug sales, gambling and other crimes. Those who disobey their orders will receive violent punishment.
On Wednesday, a jury found Ysrael Jacob Cordova, 41, known as “Trips” or “Tripper,” of Placentia, and Ricardo Valenzuela, 44, known as “Solo,” of Buena Park, each guilty of attempted burglary, prosecutors said.
The exploitative aspect of Cordova and Valenzuela’s cases carries a mandatory life sentence without parole and shows that their crimes were committed to maintain standing within the criminal organization.
Charging them with a crime allows prosecutors to pursue the men who allegedly masterminded the case – identified in the case as Johnny Martinez, 50, and Gregory Muñoz, 38 – from prison.
Martinez, known as “Crow,” is a member of the Mexican Mafia who was in charge of organized crime on the streets and inside Orange County jails at the time of the murder, prosecutors said. While incarcerated at the Salinas Valley County Jail in Monterey County, Martinez is accused of directing the robbery of a victim named RR more than 300 miles away in Placentia.
Muñoz, also known as “Lou,” “Louie,” “Snoopy” or “Snoops,” is accused of acting as a middleman and delivering orders for Cordova and Valenzuela to commit the robbery. At the time, Muñoz was being held at the Calipatria jail in Imperial County, prosecutors said.
On Jan. 19, 2017, Cordova and Valenzuela were driven to the RR location in Placentia to rob RR at gunpoint, prosecutors said. During the robbery, Cordova shot and killed RR The two men, who were armed with long guns, then fled the scene.
Cordova and Valenzuela were indicted in 2022 as part of a 33-count indictment against 31 suspected Mexican Mafia and gang members for murder, drug trafficking and illegal firearms.
At the time of their indictment, 21 defendants were already in custody and others were recently arrested. Since then, prosecutors have found 15 cases in the criminal case.
Muñoz is scheduled to go on trial in July 2027 for the same charges that led to the convictions of Cordova and Valenzuela. Meanwhile, Martinez and six other defendants will go on trial in August 2027 on multiple charges including drug and firearms trafficking, as well as directing and committing violent crimes on behalf of a criminal organization.
“We will never tolerate the senseless acts of street gang violence, especially those directed by incarcerated gang members,” said First Assistant US Atty. Bill Essayli in a statement on Wednesday. “We will vigorously prosecute gang violence to keep our community safe and provide justice for victims.”
