Mexican Mafia Hit Trial Unfolds | San Jose News

A federal trial has begun over a 2017 murder in Orange County, where drug dealer Robert Rios was killed in his own yard. Prosecutors blame the Mexican Mafia, claiming it was retaliation for Rios failing to pay his “taxes” on drug profits, with Johnny Martinez allegedly ordering the hit. The defense counters it was a botched robbery by Gregory Munoz for personal gain, not gang retaliation. Previous state attempts collapsed after a key witness was exposed as untruthful. Now, the federal case centers on two shooters, Ysrael Cordova and Ricardo Valenzuela, plus cooperator witnesses like Charles Coghill and Omar Mejia, who claims he overheard the plot. The case exposes the Mexican Mafia’s deep influence across streets and prisons, where loyalty and betrayal can cost lives — all unfolding in a courtroom battle of competing narratives. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/4ca9ddc8948eb167