31 alleged Mexican Mafia members and associates indicted on racketeering, murder, drug and gun charges
CBSN
Three alleged Orange County Mexican Mafia members and 28 alleged associates are facing a series of charges as a result of a years-long investigation, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The defendants are facing charges that include murder, attempted murder, drug and gun related charges as well as racketeering offenses.
According to a criminal complaint that was unsealed Wednesday, defendants Johnny Martinez, Robert Aguirre and Dennis Ortiz were allegedly in charge of "criminal activities" throughout Orange County, California, and within the area's prisons and jails between 2016 and 2022. The 33-count indictment also accuses multiple defendants of working as "mouthpieces," representatives and secretaries for the three members.
The Mexican Mafia, otherwise known as La Eme, consists of senior members of Latino street gangs who've joined together to rule and profit from other California gangs, according to the DOJ. The members allegedly divvied up control across various areas throughout the Southern California and would receive "taxes" paid by gangs so as to allow drug distribution within the area.
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