LOS ANGELES – A federal jury in Los Angeles found five MS-13 gang members guilty of racketeering and murder charges following a nine-week trial.
The convictions stem from a string of brutal killings that occurred between 2017 and 2019 in areas including the Angeles National Forest and the San Fernando Valley, which prosecutors say were carried out to advance the members’ standing within the gang.
The guilty verdicts
What we know:
The nine-week trial concluded Monday in downtown Los Angeles with the conviction of five gang members.
The federal jury found the following individuals guilty of various racketeering and murder charges:
Walter Chavez Larin, 26, of Panorama City, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and two counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder.
Edwin Martinez, 28, of Cypress Park, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and three counts of VICAR murder.
Roberto Alejandro Corado Ortiz, 30, of Baldwin Park, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and two counts of VICAR murder.
Bryan Alexander Rosales Arias, 28, of South Los Angeles, was found guilty of one count of VICAR murder.
Erick Eduardo Rosales Arias, 27, of South Los Angeles, was found guilty of one count of VICAR murder.
The charges related to the Los Angeles cliques focused on gang rules that required members to use murder and extreme violence to rise within their ranks.
The murders
Timeline:
The charges relate to six murders in Los Angeles County, committed between 2017 and 2019, including killings in remote, mountainous locations and the San Fernando Valley. The victims were either members of, or perceived to be members of, rival gangs.
Prosecutors stated that some victims were strangled, shot, stabbed with knives or a machete, and beaten with a baseball bat. Their bodies were, in some cases, thrown off a cliff or down a hill in the Angeles National Forest.
June 2017: One victim, who claimed he had a leadership role in the gang, was taken to the Angeles National Forest, then stabbed and hacked to death by his killers, including Chavez. Assailants unsuccessfully tried to decapitate him and left his body behind.
October 2017: A man rumored to be a rival gang 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. Corado and Bryan Rosales were among the assailants.
July 2018: A third rumored rival gang member was lured to the Malibu Hills. While the victim stood at a scenic overlook, Corado shot him in the back of the head. Eric Rosales then shot the victim, before the gun was passed to others who took turns shooting him. His body was thrown down a hill.
December 2018: Martinez murdered a victim who was shot to death after being mistaken for a rival.
January 13, 2019: Martinez and Chavez murdered a gang associate addicted to methamphetamine—a violation of gang rules—who was shot to death.
January 14, 2019: Martinez fatally shot a homeless man for having a tattoo believed to be related to a rival gang.
What they’re saying:
Following the verdict, both U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued statements.
“The horrific violence in this case underscores the urgency of destroying (the gang) and putting its depraved members behind bars. Under President Trump, (the gang) can no longer unleash terror on the American people with impunity: we will eradicate this foreign terrorist organization and secure justice for its victims,” Bondi said.
“These convictions mark one of the most significant victories against MS-13’s Los Angeles network in decades. I applaud the jury for their dedication and bravery in finding these individuals guilty of the brutal murders, extortion and drug trafficking they have inflicted on our communities for years… this is a message to all: we will not tolerate or be intimidated by gangs that try to hold our communities hostage to violence and corruption,” Hochman said.
What’s next:
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II has scheduled sentencing hearings for July 2026.
Each of the defendants will face a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison.
These convictions follow years of investigation by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on violent gangs, a joint effort between the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Source: This article is based on information from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.