Trial Begins for Men Involved in Alleged Mexican Mafia Hit in Placentia

Two “footsoldiers” for the Mexican Mafia carried out a robbery that turned deadly of a drug dealer in Placentia for failing to dues to the reputed head of the Orange County chapter of the gang, a prosecutor told jurors Monday, but defense attorneys said it was an attack that accidentally “went sideways” and wasn’t a case of murder.

Yrael Jacob Cordova and Ricardo Valenzuela are charged with violent crimes in aid of racketeering and use of a gun in a violent crime resulting in death.

The two are accused in the Jan. 19, 2017, killing of 35-year-old Robert Rios.

Orange County District Attorney’s Office prosecutors originally filed a case against the defendants, but it resulted only in the conviction of co-defendant Agustin Velasquez before federal prosecutors took over the case with racketeering charges against the Orange County chapter of the Mexican Mafia.

“During this trial you’re going to see the final moments of a man’s life on video,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Campbell told jurors in her opening statement of the trial. “And these are the men who did it. The man who pulled the trigger and the man who helped him.”

Cordova, Valenzuela, and Velasquez were driven by Charles Frederick Coghill to Rios’ neighborhood on the orders of Gregory Munoz, who was an alleged shot-caller for reputed Mexican Mafia Orange County boss Johnny Martinez while incarcerated in Calipatria State Prison.

Coghill has accepted a deal with prosecutors to testify in the trial as he did in Velasquez’s trial in state court. Another alleged shot-caller, Omar Mejia, who was Munoz’s cell mate, is also expected to testify as he did in another related murder trial in the case.

Cordova, Valenzuela and Velasquez initially went to the wrong home on the block, but were directed to the home of Rios, defense attorneys said. Rios had an elaborate surveillance system set up to warn him of law enforcement so he came out and greeted the three men, prosecutors said in Velasquez’s trial.

“After a brief struggle they shot him dead,” Campbell said.

Munoz had ordered the men to rob Rios because he failed to pay “taxes” on his drug profits to the Mexican Mafia, which is an umbrella organization of about 150 to 200 “elite” gang members who oversee local street gangs from prison, Campbell said.

Munoz had a smuggled-in cell phone he used to reach out to Coghill, who worked for him, Campbell said. Coghill’s job was to fetch guns and round up men for the attack, Campbell said.

“Robert Rios was no saint,” Campbell said. “He was a drug dealer who sold drugs from his home in Placentia.”

Martinez, who was in Salinas Valley State Prison at the time, was to receive a cut of Rios’ profits, Campbell said.

Since Rios didn’t pay his “taxes” to Martinez, Munoz’s job was to punish him, Campbell said. Martinez arranged for Munoz to rob Rios to send a message to the gangs to not break the rules and pay what they owe, Campbell said.

Since the men were masked and wore gloves, prosecutors will rely on the evidence from the surveillance video, the phone communications and locations, ballistics from the bullet that killed Rios and testimony from the snitches to make their case, Campbell said. Investigators never recovered the murder weapon, she said.

Munoz and Martinez “talked constantly” on the contraband phones in prison, Campbell said.

A hearing is scheduled in federal court Thursday afternoon on whether Velasquez will be compelled to testify in the trial. Velasquez’s conviction in state court was overturned on appeal in November due to a violation of his Miranda rights and he is awaiting another trial in state court.

Munoz and Martinez later had a falling out and Munoz was attacked three times, twice in prison and again after he got out in Placentia, prosecutors said.

Munoz “like Rios broke Mexican Mafia rules,” Campbell said.

Mejia ordered the attacks on Munoz, but not because of the botched Rios conflict, Campbell said.

Cordova’s attorney, William Harris, told jurors, “This case is about an attempted robbery that went sideways and, as a result, a drug dealer was killed.”

Harris said Munoz was attacked by the Mexican Mafia because the hit on Rios was not sanctioned.

The men involved in the attack on Rios initially showed up at 929 Vista Ave. the night of the conflict, Harris said. A woman there directed them to Rios’ home at 941 Vista, Harris said.

Munoz allegedly texted Coghill, “Tonight’s going to be a score… And we all get paid,” Harris said.

Rios, who was high on methamphetamine, fought back and was “accidentally shot,” Harris said. Velasquez also took a bullet in the leg, he added.

“None of this was supposed to happen. It was not part of the plan,” Harris said.

Munoz suffered “recriminations” for the bungled hit and was later “fired from his shot caller position,” Harris said.

In the third attack on Munoz, he was shot eight times but survived, Harris said.

Mejia, who was a rival of Munoz’s, was facing 25 years to life in state prison for attempted manslaughter and street terrorism when he copped a deal with federal prosecutors, Harris said. Mejia is also in the country illegally and is seeking help with his “immigration problems,” Harris said.

Munoz ordered the hit on Rios to personally enrich himself, Harris alleged.

“It was Gregory Munoz business, not Mexican Mafia business and that distinction makes all the difference,” Harris said.

Valenzuela’s attorney, Mark Chambers, said that Rios “died as a side job orchestrated by” Mejia and Munoz.

“When the organization found out it was a side job it repeatedly tried to kill Munoz,” Chambers said.

Rios, who dealt methamphetamine and heroin, had a “potentially legal dose of methamphetamine” in his system before the violent encounter with the defendants, Chambers said.

Valenzuela may be guilty “of certain things,” but not murder, Chambers said.