Three members of Orange County-based street gangs were sentenced to life in prison after they were found guilty of murdering a man on behalf of a Mexican Mafia leader, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday. Federal authorities said in Aug 2017, 43-year-old Mike Escobar of the Little Hood gang in Anaheim, 47-year-old James Mendez of the Sureño gang in Garden Grove and 38-year-old Kevin Trejo of the Jeffrey Street gang in Anaheim killed a member of a Costa Mesa street gang. The victim had been involved in trafficking drugs and collecting taxes from other Orange County gangs on behalf of a Mexican Mafia leader, who was in prison at the time. The Mexican Mafia, also known as “La Eme,” is a U.S.-based prison gang that exerts significant influence over Hispanic street gangs throughout Southern California. The Mexican Mafia leader who ordered Escobar, Mendez and Trejo to commit the murder for him was scheduled for trial in August 2027, the DOJ said.