November 10, 2025: Five MS-13 Gang Members From Los Angeles Found Guilty of Series of Murders, Extortion and Drug Trafficking in Racketeering Case

LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles federal jury today found five MS-13 Los Angeles gang members guilty in a racketeering case, including a string of killings in the Angeles National Forest and shootings that occurred in the San Fernando Valley from 2017 to 2019. LADA's Deputy District Attorney Eric Siddall served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the case.

"These convictions mark one of the most significant victories against MS-13's Los Angeles network in decades," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. "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. Thank you to Deputy District Attorney Eric Siddall for his exceptional work in prosecuting this case with our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office. I'd like to recognize and thank former District Attorney Jackie Lacey for her leadership when the Office first filed this case. Also, thank you to the FBI, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department for their dedication and leadership. 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."

Following a nine-week trial, the jury found the following defendants from Los Angeles guilty of racketeering acts, including murder, extortion, and narcotics trafficking:

• Walter Chavez-Larin (MS-13 Fulton clique): one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and two counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeering murder
• Edwin Martinez (MS-13 Fulton clique): one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and three counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeering murder
• Roberto Corado Ortiz (MS-13 Directos Locos): one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and two counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeering murder
• Erick Rosales Arias (MS-13 Directos Locos): one count of violent crimes in aid of racketeering murder
• Bryan Rosales Arias (Directos Locos): one count of violent crimes in aid of racketeering murder

Several killings began in 2017 and took place in North Hollywood, the Malibu Hills, and the Angeles National Forest.

Among the most heinous crimes was the 2017 killings, where gang members abducted, tortured, and murdered the victims in a ritualistic manner to elevate their membership status.

United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled sentencing hearings in July 2026. The defendants 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.