
“Socalj” for Borderland Beat
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Instead of facing the gas chamber at San Quentin, the reputed Mexican Mafia member turned death row into a base of power, law enforcement authorities and gang dropouts say, collecting extortion payments, trafficking drugs and ordering violent attacks through a vast network of affiliated gang members and collaborators from San Diego to Seattle.
Ayala, 74, now faces racketeering charges brought by federal prosecutors in Sacramento, who allege the National City native conspired with members of the Sinaloa Cartel to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl throughout the western United States.
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Who is Ronaldo Ayala?
Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, is also known “OG,” “El Professor,” or “Profe.” He was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison and had been on death row since 1989 for the murder of three employees at an auto body shop robbery in San Diego, California. He was transferred to Centinela State Prison last year after Governor Gavin Newsom ended California’s death row.
Auto Body Shop Murders
Ayala went on trial in 1988 for the three shooting deaths at A & Z Auto Repair off 43rd Street in southeastern San Diego.
Found shot to death April 26, 1985, were Ernesto “Cha Cho” Mendez Dominguez, 30; his brother-in-law, Marco Zamora-Villa, 31, and Jose “Cucuy” Luis Rositas, 24. All had their hands tied behind their backs and the were gagged and Ronaldo’s brother Hector Ayala demanded $10,000. Three were shot to death, while a fourth was able to escape wounded. The surviving victim later testified that two of the slain men were heroin dealers.
The investigation revealed that incarcerated Mexican Mafia members were using facility phones, E-mail, mail, and smuggled in cell phones to communicate with associates who were ordered to extort victims, sell drugs, and to collect money on behalf of incarcerated members. The two key groups were identified as being directed by federal inmate Jose “Bat” Marquez and California death row inmate, Ronaldo Ayala.
The witness, Ayala’s alleged liaison to gang members in the San Diego area, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to a lengthy prison term.
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The Ayala brothers, Ronnie and Hector. |
Ayala’s brother Hector got North County and Chula Vista. Ronaldo Ayala had Spring Valley, Paradise Hills, National City and “everything else,” she said.
“At the end of the day,” she told the agents, “this is Ronnie’s city.”
According to the witness, Ayala also collected a regular payment called “the light bill” from the San Diego County jail system, which he split with his brother and Buchanan.
Human Smuggling from TJ
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Encanto, San Diego area trap house. |
Drugs for Prison Protection
Also indicted is Angel “Snappy” Anthony Esparza, was also a death row inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Esparza handled La eMe business for Ayala. Esparza instructed others concerning the amount of La eMe taxes which Ayala ordered to be collected regarding the drugs received through the agreement between La eMe and the Sinaloa Cartel.
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Ayala’s underlings ran various rackets, all contributing their tax to Ayala. Some bought methamphetamine in Tijuana and shipped it to San Bernardino or Texas. Others ran casitas or illegal gambling parlors, and trap houses where people could buy and use drugs, according to the FBI witness.
Allen “Frankie Chino” Fong, is a San Jose based Sureño gang member serving a 17-year prison term for assault, and is charged with collecting taxes for Ayala while being held at the state prison in Solano. He taxed gang members in several Northern California areas including San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento.
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Sureńo rapper Payaso was charged with collecting taxes, extortion and arson. |
Through his membership in a Sureño gang, Morales acted as a La eMe associate. Morales carried out a La eMe a directive to improve La eMe tax collection by organizing Sureño gangs in the area surrounding Seattle.
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Rapper King Lil G. |
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Operation Los Impuestos in San Diego |
Operation Los Impuestos
Operation Los Impuestos, or “the taxes” in Spanish, led by the San Diego Police Department, resulted in the arrests last week of 39 people believed to be involved in the powerful prison gang. Seven additional defendants being charged are currently already in custody.
The suspects are largely street gang members who “took orders from [cartel[ bosses operating in state prison and preyed on business owners by forcing mafia-style taxes,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said Tuesday at a news conference.
“They dealt illegal drugs including pounds of deadly fentanyl, committed widespread violence and trafficked weapons such as ghost guns and AR-15s,” Stephan said.
One of the cases charged as a result of the operation involved the homicide of an 18-year-old National City man, Juan Carlos Porter, in Chicano Park in September.
The suspect, a 15-year-old boy, used “an AR-15 supplied by an older gang member,” Stephan said.