A Los Angeles County jury has found five members of the MS-13 gang guilty in a series of violent murders that took place in the Angeles National Forest, marking a significant legal milestone in the fight against the notorious gang. The convictions, which include charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) murder counts, stem from a nine-week trial that concluded with the jury’s determination that the defendants played a direct role in the deaths of multiple victims.
The defendants—Walter Chavez Larin, 26; Roberto Alejandro Corado Ortiz, 30; Edwin Martinez, 28; Bryan Alexander Rosales Arias, 28; and Erick Eduardo Rosales Arias, 27—were convicted of conspiracy to violate RICO, as well as multiple counts of VICAR murder. The victims, according to federal prosecutors, included members of the rival 18th Street gang and MS-13 members who had violated the gang’s rules. The crimes, which spanned from 2017 to 2019, involved victims being subjected to brutal attacks, including beatings, strangulation, and, in some cases, their bodies being dumped off cliffs in remote and mountainous locations near Los Angeles.
One of the earliest incidents occurred in June 2017 when a victim, who was claimed to have held a leadership position within MS-13, was taken to the Angeles National Forest and stabbed and hacked to death by his killers, including Chavez. The attackers attempted in vain to decapitate him before leaving his body behind. In October 2017, another victim, reportedly an 18th Street member, was lured to his death by two teenage girls, who then kidnapped him, strangled him, and beat him with a baseball bat before fatally stabbing him with a large hunting-style knife. His body was subsequently thrown off a cliff in the Angeles National Forest. Among the perpetrators in this attack were Corado and Bryan Rosales.
In July 2018, a third victim was lured to the hills near Malibu under the pretense of smoking marijuana and drinking beer with other people. While standing at a scenic overlook, Corado shot the victim in the back of the head. The gun was then passed to Erick Rosales, who fired at the victim before passing it to other MS-13 members who took turns shooting him, according to authorities. The victim’s body was ultimately thrown off the edge of a road down a hill. Prosecutors detailed that Martinez, one of the defendants, was responsible for three murders. One of these victims was shot to death in December 2018 after being mistaken for an 18th Street gang member. Another victim, an MS-13 associate addicted to methamphetamine, was fatally shot on January 13, 2019, for violating gang rules. A third victim, a homeless man, was fatally shot on January 14, 2019, for having a tattoo believed to be associated with the 18th Street gang.
The convictions have been welcomed by federal and local law enforcement authorities, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who emphasized the urgency of eradicating MS-13 and bringing its members to justice. ‘This violence underscores the urgency of destroying MS-13 and putting its depraved members behind bars,’ Bondi said. ‘Under President Trump, MS-13 can no longer unleash terror on the American people with impunity: We will eradicate this foreign terrorist organization and secure justice for its victims.’
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman also highlighted the gang’s penchant for violence and its devastating impact on local communities. ‘MS-13 has inflicted unimaginable suffering on victims and their families in our communities,’ Hochman stated. The sentencing hearing for the convicted defendants is set for July 2026, marking the beginning of the next phase in their legal journey.