Two associates of Orange County Mexican Mafia found guilty of murder

The convictions are part of a 2022 crackdown on the prison gang that controls Latino street gangs throughout Southern California.SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) — Two associates of the Mexican Mafia in Orange County, California, were found guilty Wednesday of murdering a man they were trying to rob on the orders of an incarcerated leader of the Latino prison gang.A jury in Santa Ana, California, found both Ysrael “Trips” Cordova, 41, and Ricardo “Solo” Valenzuela, 44, guilty of murder in aid of racketeering activity, the U.S. Justice Department said. Because the jury agreed with the prosecution that the murder was committed in furtherance of a criminal enterprise, the two face mandatory sentences of life in prison.“We will never tolerate senseless acts of gang violence on the streets, especially those ordered by convicted felons behind bars,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said in a statement. “We will vigorously prosecute gang violence to keep our community safe and to provide justice for the victims.”The trial of Cordova and Valenzuela is part of a number of widespread crackdowns in recent years on the prison gang, known as “La Eme,” that controls Latino street gangs in Southern California and elsewhere.Four years ago, federal prosecutors charged 31 members and associates of the Mexican Mafia, including Cordova and Valenzuela, with participating in a criminal enterprise in Orange County that involved murder, attempted murder, assault and extortion.The gang, run by a core group members who typically serve long if not life sentences in federal and state prisons across the U.S., demands “taxes” from Latino street gangs if they want to maintain control over their territory, sell drugs and commit other crimes.Since members of these street gangs can expect to end up in prison at one point or another — where they have to depend on the protection and good will of the Mexican Mafia — many Hispanic gangs are aligned with the Mexican Mafia and have added “13” to the name of the gang in reference to the 13th letter of the alphabet, “M.”Federal prosecutors claimed that, in January 2017, a jailed Mexican Mafia member in charge of criminal activities in Orange County spoke over the phone with another member of the gang who was incarcerated in a different California prison and ordered the robbery of the victim identified in court papers as R.R.The job was given to Cordova and Valenzuela. They were driven the same day to the victim’s neighborhood in Placentia, a city in Orange County. The two brandished firearms during the robbery, and Cordova ended up shooting the victim.The robbery and murder were captured on a surveillance video recording, which was introduced by the government as evidence during the trial.Mark Chambers, an attorney representing Valenzuela, said in an email that he and his co-counsel were disappointed with the verdict and will be be seeking a new trial.Attorneys for Cordova didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the verdict.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads