MS-13 Members Found Guilty of Multiple Murders
On Tuesday, a jury found all five members of the MS-13 gang guilty for their involvement in a series of violent murders in remote areas near Los Angeles. These heinous acts included brutal beatings, strangulation, and, alarmingly, the disposal of victims’ bodies off cliffs.
The Los Angeles County jury convicted Walter Chavez Larin, 26, and Roberto Alejandro Corrado Ortiz, aged 30. Edwin Martinez, 28, faced conspiracy charges related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) after a lengthy nine-week trial.
Chavez and Corrado were also convicted on two counts of violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) and aiding and abetting murder. Martinez received guilty verdicts for three counts of VICAR murder. Additionally, 28-year-old Brian Alexander Rosales Arias was found guilty of one count of VICAR murder, as was his brother, 27-year-old Eric Eduardo Rosales Arias.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Esseri expressed gratitude to the jury for their prompt decisions regarding the brutal MS-13 members. He praised law enforcement for their efforts to rid the streets of this violent gang, emphasizing that MS-13 poses a significant threat that must be eradicated.
Federal prosecutors highlighted that these defendants were linked to at least six murders, primarily targeting rival gang members and other MS-13 members who violated gang rules.
Many of the violent acts occurred in or near the Angeles National Forest, where some victims met their tragic ends using baseball bats, machetes, and knives. In a particularly gruesome incident in June 2017, prosecutors revealed that one victim, allegedly a leader within MS-13, was taken into the forest and brutally attacked, with some assailants attempting decapitation.
Another victim, perceived to be part of the rival 18th Street gang, faced a horrifying fate in October 2017 at the hands of two teenage girls along with Corrado and Brian Rosales. This victim was strangled, beaten, and then stabbed before being tossed off a cliff in the Angeles National Forest.
In July 2018, Corrado shot a victim in the back of the head during an outing meant for leisure, an act that spiraled further into violence as others took turns shooting the victim afterward.
Martinez was linked to additional murders, one involving a mistaken identity where a gym-goer was shot, and another who was poisoned with methamphetamine, violating gang rules, resulting in his execution.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the critical need to dismantle MS-13 and imprison its members, indicating a strong commitment under the current administration to eliminate this foreign terrorist organization and seek justice for its victims.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hockman remarked on the significant toll MS-13 has inflicted on communities, stating the gang has caused immense suffering for countless victims and their families.
Sentencing for the convicted members is set for July 2026.
