According to the evidence presented at the 10-day trial that occurred in October 2023, the defendants, in August 2017, murdered the victim, a member of a Costa Mesa, California, street gang and associate of the Mexican Mafia. The Mexican Mafia leader who ordered the murder is scheduled for trial in August 2027. “Three more members of the Mexican Mafia who steal from society and degrade our communities are off the streets for the rest of their lives thanks to the joint efforts of the Orange County Violent Gang Task Force and the Homeland Security Task Force.” On the night of the murder, Escobar, Mendez, and Trejo tricked the victim into driving with them to a residential neighborhood in Orange, California. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.