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Los Angeles, CA. — Five members of the transnational criminal organization MS-13 were convicted today of carrying out six extraordinarily brutal murders to elevate their standing within the gang, following a nine-week federal trial.
A jury found Walter Chavez Larin, 26; Roberto Alejandro Corado Ortiz, 30; and Edwin Martinez, 28, guilty of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Chavez and Corado were also convicted of two counts of VICAR murder, while Martinez was convicted of three VICAR murders. Brothers Bryan Alexander Rosales Arias, 28, and Erick Eduardo Rosales Arias, 27, were each convicted of one count of VICAR murder.
Prosecutors detailed killings in which victims were strangled, shot, hacked with knives and machetes, beaten with a baseball bat, and in several cases thrown off cliffs or down hillsides in the Angeles National Forest. The victims were believed to be rival 18th Street gang members or individuals who violated MS-13’s internal rules.
“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 U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, calling MS-13 “a violent brutal gang that must be eliminated from the United States.”
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the case “underscores the urgency of destroying MS-13,” adding, “Under President Trump, MS-13 can no longer unleash terror on the American people with impunity.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis described the attacks as “barbaric,” praising investigators and prosecutors for “effectively remov[ing] murderers and terrorists from Los Angeles communities.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, Sheriff Robert G. Luna, and District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman each emphasized the severity of the violence and the unified effort required to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Evidence showed that MS-13 cliques in Los Angeles enforced rules requiring members to commit murder to rise in rank. The killings occurred between 2017 and 2019, including:
A June 2017 stabbing and attempted decapitation of a victim in the Angeles National Forest.
An October 2017 murder in which a kidnapped victim was strangled, beaten with a bat, stabbed, and pushed off a cliff.
A July 2018 shooting in Malibu hills, where multiple MS-13 members took turns firing at the victim before disposing of the body.
Three additional murders committed by Martinez, including the killing of an MS-13 associate accused of violating gang rules and the execution of a homeless man over a tattoo.
Each defendant faces a mandatory life sentence when they appear before U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II in July 2026.
To date, prosecutors have secured 25 convictions in the broader case. Several additional MS-13 members are scheduled for trial in April 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Prosecutors from multiple units of the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled the case.
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