LOS ANGELES (BN24) — Federal and state authorities have charged 19 members and associates of the Mexican Mafia prison gang in connection with an elaborate conspiracy to murder a prominent social media rapper who allegedly offended the criminal organization.
The multi-jurisdictional investigation, announced Wednesday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, uncovered a coordinated assassination plot that spanned from December 2022 through recent months, involving inmates within California’s prison system, the Los Angeles County Jail, and gang associates operating throughout Southern California.
Prosecutors revealed that a high-ranking Mexican Mafia member, identified by co-conspirators as “The Elegant One,” placed the unidentified rapper on a “green-light” list, effectively marking him for death due to perceived slights against the organization. The victim’s identity remains protected by authorities, though officials confirmed he survived multiple attempts on his life and remains alive.
The conspiracy involved sophisticated tracking methods, with gang members monitoring the rapper’s social media presence and conducting surveillance at his family’s residence in attempts to locate and eliminate the target. The assassination efforts persisted even after the rapper was arrested and incarcerated in the Los Angeles County Jail.
According to federal prosecutors, Mexican Mafia leadership figures known as “shotcallers” coordinated the murder plot from their prison cells, communicating with counterparts in state correctional facilities and street-level associates to confirm the execution order. Gang members classified as “Sureños” or “soldiers” within the jail system subsequently attacked the rapper while he was in custody.
The victim was hospitalized following the jail assault but survived the attack. Prosecutors allege the gang renewed their efforts to locate and kill the rapper after his release from medical care, continuing to monitor his movements through online platforms and social media surveillance.
“Today’s successful operation resulting in state charges is just the latest blow to the Mexican Mafia hierarchy,” said Donald Alway, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This organization operates not only behind bars, but also poses a threat to our communities.”
The charges were filed following an extensive multi-agency investigation led by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau in partnership with the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force. The coordinated law enforcement response resulted in multiple arrests and the identification of one remaining fugitive.
Joshua Euan, 37, of Paramount, remains at large and is actively sought by federal authorities. The FBI has released his photograph to the public and requested anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact the agency at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit tips through the FBI’s online portal.
Seven suspects were arrested during coordinated raids at their residences on June 18, 2025. Those taken into custody include Manuel Quintero, 49, of Paramount; Patricia Esquivel, 45, of Palmdale; Dominga Gonzalez, 66, of Bellflower; Jude Valle, 48, of Pomona; Carl Brown, 31, of Gardena; Glendy Orozco-Lechuga, 29, of Gardena; and Sanjuana Macias, 26, of Los Angeles.
Eleven additional defendants were already in custody on unrelated charges when the conspiracy case was filed. These individuals include Guiseppe Leyva, 34, of La Puente; Jacob David, 39, of Coachella; Manuel O’Campo, 40, of Compton; Jonathan Quevedo, 43, of Los Angeles; Onesimo Gonzalez, 44, of Paramount; Michael Ortiz, 29, of Norwalk; Andrew Shinaia, 24, of Los Angeles; Adrian Bueno, 33, of San Fernando; Larry Sanchez, 31, of Gardena; Juan Meza, 53, of Compton; and Jorge Zavala, 31, of Norwalk.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna emphasized the significance of disrupting the murder conspiracy before additional violence occurred. “The relentless efforts of our Major Crimes Bureau and our law enforcement partners helped disrupt a murder conspiracy and prevent further violence,” Luna stated. “This case underscores the dangerous influence of prison gangs beyond prison walls.”
District Attorney Nathan Hochman warned that organized criminal activity extending from correctional facilities would face aggressive prosecution. “We will not tolerate organized crime using our jails and prisons as a haven for violence,” Hochman declared during the announcement.
The district attorney emphasized the broader implications of the case for correctional system integrity. “When individuals on the outside conspire with those inside to carry out attacks, they threaten the safety and integrity of our correctional system,” Hochman explained. “That criminal activity may scale over prison walls, but I will make it my mission to ensure it ends at the front door, with an arrest.”
The investigation highlights the Mexican Mafia’s continued ability to coordinate criminal activities across multiple jurisdictions despite incarceration of key leadership figures. The organization’s influence extends from California’s state prison system to county jails and street-level criminal networks throughout Southern California.
Authorities stressed that every incarcerated individual deserves protection from targeted violence while serving their sentences. The successful disruption of this murder conspiracy represents ongoing efforts to combat organized crime’s infiltration of correctional facilities and prevent gang-related violence from extending into surrounding communities.
