39 San Diego Gang Members Arrested for Executing Orders from the Mexican Mafia in Prison

SAN DIEGO—A six-month collaborative effort by multiple agencies has led to 39 arrests and numerous charges against street gang members supposedly operating in San Diego County under the direction of incarcerated gang members associated with Mexico’s cartels, as stated by the San Diego County district attorney on January 21.

The arrests occurred last Thursday, with many of the detained individuals facing accusations of involvement in various offenses, including murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, arson, extortion, drug and weapons trafficking, and violent assaults.

Prosecutors claim these defendants acted under the orders of the largest prison gang, the Mexican Mafia, also referred to as La Eme.

“These criminals received directives from cartel leaders operating within the state prison and exploited business owners by enforcing mafia-style taxes,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan during a press conference.

She further noted that they “distributed illegal drugs, including significant quantities of lethal fentanyl, perpetrated widespread violence, and trafficked weapons like ghost guns and AR-15s.”

Among 20 different cases, one involves a murder allegedly executed by a 15-year-old suspect, who was armed by an older gang member.

In another incident, a command was given to assault a business using grenades. “Why? Because the owner declined to pay the tax imposed by the Mexican Mafia,” Stephan explained. Some businesses faced attacks with Molotov cocktails or were robbed.

Members of the Mexican Mafia issued commands from prison via cellphones, Stephan noted.

A prominent gang figure who issued orders is Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, 74, from San Diego, who was sentenced to death for the murders of three individuals and for attempting to murder a fourth.

“Yet, our California Department of Corrections chose to close down death row and release him into the general population, where he has even greater influence and access to gang affiliates on the streets,” Stephan added.

The six-month undercover operation, named Operation “Los Impuestos,” which translates to “taxes” in Spanish, resulted in the seizure of firearms and drugs that included 21 handguns, 23 rifles, four shotguns, two grenades, 75 pounds of methamphetamine, 60 pounds of fentanyl, nearly two pounds of cocaine, and over 4,000 M30 fentanyl pills, according to the district attorney’s office.

Law enforcement in San Diego reported that gang-related activities had been causing distress in communities prior to the operation. “It had been a persistent issue,” said San Diego Police Department Lt. Chris Tivanian at the press conference, “but victims were extremely hesitant to come forward.”

“There was no doubt. They were warned that if you alert law enforcement, the treatment you’re currently experiencing will only escalate,” Tivanian stated. Gang members had threatened to vandalize or burn businesses, as well as harm or kill employees.

Authorities declared that while the arrests will provide a temporary sense of security for the community, further efforts are still necessary.

According to the San Diego County district attorney’s office, the Mexican Mafia was established in the California state prison system over 50 years ago and has since expanded its operations to other states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This prison gang maintains control over and employs both incarcerated and non-incarcerated gang members for their criminal enterprises.