LOS ANGELES — Three Southern California gang members have been sentenced to life in federal prison after being convicted of murder in aid of racketeering in a case connected to the Mexican Mafia. Federal authorities identified the defendants as Mike Escobar, 43, also known as Risky; James Mendez, 47, also known as Buck; and Kevin Trejo, 38, also known as Minor.
Federal prosecutors said Escobar was associated with the Little Hood gang in Anaheim, Mendez was a Sureño gang member from Garden Grove and Trejo was associated with the Jeffrey Street gang in Anaheim. The defendants were convicted following a federal trial involving a killing that prosecutors linked to the Mexican Mafia and its influence over Southern California street gangs.
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The prosecution was part of a broader federal effort targeting violent criminal organizations and their networks. Authorities have described the Mexican Mafia as a powerful prison-based criminal organization capable of exercising influence over street gangs outside correctional facilities. Federal investigators have increasingly used racketeering and violent-crime statutes to pursue people accused of committing crimes on behalf of such organizations.
The life sentences represent another significant federal prosecution targeting organized gang violence in Southern California. Federal authorities continue investigating individuals suspected of directing or carrying out violent crimes associated with criminal organizations, while defendants facing unresolved charges are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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