 |
Torres, 59, was attacked at 9:23 AM at California State Jail, Sacramento, (often known as ‘New Folsom’) the place he was serving 133 years to life for tried homicide, conspiracy, weapons offenses, and witness tampering. He was pronounced useless at 10:30 AM.
Jail officers recognized the assailants as Ray “Cisco” Martinez, 49, and Juan Angel Martinez, 47. The lads, who are usually not associated, are each serving life in jail for homicide and different crimes. Ray Martinez is a Mexican Mafia member in response to regulation enforcement sources.
It’s unclear why Torres was killed, however he made many enemies in his climb from the streets of San Fernando to presiding over the biggest county jail advanced within the nation. “The one recreation is greed,” a gang member instructed prosecutors in 2005, predicting that Torres would at some point be killed in jail. “They step on one another’s face to get to the highest.”
The Two Killers
 |
Ray “Cisco” Martinez
Ray Martinez, often known as “Cisco,” is a Mexican Mafia member. He started his life sentence, with out the potential of parole in 1996. He was imprisoned for first-degree homicide and second-degree theft, with enhancements for the usage of a firearm. He was a member of MS-13 previous to turning into a member within the Mexican Mafia.
Whereas incarcerated, on June 11, 2021, he was sentenced to a different 22 years for assault by a prisoner with a weapon or drive prone to trigger nice bodily damage and possession or manufacturing of a weapon by a prisoner as a second striker. He additionally acquired an enhancement for having a previous felony conviction.
 |
Juan Angel Martinez
Juan Angel Martinez, (not associated) started his keep at New Folson in 1993, serving life with the potential of parole for tried first-degree homicide.
Additionally whereas incarcerated, on August 30, 2001, Martinez was sentenced to a different 27 years, and 4 months for tried second-degree homicide and assault with a lethal weapon on a peace officer or fireman, each as a second-striker. He additionally acquired an enhancement for inflicting nice bodily damage.
Whereas the CDCR didn’t point out if Juan was additionally a Mexican Mafia member, he has a big seen ’13’, for the letter M, tattooed on his neck, signifying his ties and/or help of La eMe. Being that “Mosca” was a long-time, rating member of La Eme, his killers would have probably been fellow members.
.webp)
Mosca’s Mexican Mafia Heritage
Initially from the San Fer gang, Torres was born in 1964. In 1982 he was imprisoned on costs of Voluntary Manslaughter. In 1991, CDCR listed him as an eMe affiliate. In 1994, upon his switch to Pelican Bay State Jail, “Mosca” was validated as a member of the Mexican Mafia. He had been initially sponsored by one among its first founders, Luis “Huero Buff” Flores, a regulation enforcement official testified in 2004.
 |
“Mosca has a variety of juice,” a witness instructed prosecutors. “Mosca’s obtained the entire valley. That’s all him. So each neighborhood within the valley just about pays him.”
Diablo, Smokey & Ghost
A gang member Joe “Smokey” Neria had instructed Torres that David “Diablo” Mendoza had been shaking down drug sellers and prostitutes by claiming to be a Mexican Mafia member. The day prior, Smokey and Diablo had gotten right into a fistfight over his dad and mom’ Mercedes Benz being vandalized and never being returned.
On June 12, 2003, Torres knocked on the door of an condominium in North Hills. He instructed the person who answered, Rodrigo “Ghost” Reyes, that he was in search of “Diablo,” in response to proof offered at his trial. As Mendoza approached the doorway, Torres requested if he was a “Carnal,” a time period for a Mexican Mafia member. Mendoza lifted up his shirt to show his tattoos, and stated “Yeah,” Torres then shot him within the chest. Mendoza stated, “These motherfuckers simply shot me.” He sat on the sofa, holding his chest.
A feminine witness, Maria Salazar, who was sleeping off a crack cocaine binge on the condominium, testified that she noticed two skinny males working from the condominium following the capturing. She fled to name 911, and some minutes afterward, went across the nook to “rating” some medicine, she noticed “Smokey” and he stated he knew in regards to the capturing.
When Torres was arrested that yr, detectives searched his mom’s beige stucco residence in San Fernando, discovering bundles of money in a crawl house and a further $6,000 inside a espresso pot, in response to a search warrant.
In addition they discovered a listing of dozens of books that Torres had apparently deliberate on buying. The studying listing included the “full uncensored” version of the “Anarchist’s Cookbook,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Get Anybody to Do Something and By no means Really feel Powerless Once more.”
 |
Ploy to Stay in LA County Jail
Torres, who had a fifth-grade schooling, acted as his personal lawyer. A witness instructed prosecutors that Torres was representing himself to extend his keep in Males’s Central Jail, the place he was accumulating a tax on all drug gross sales. “Mosca doesn’t wish to depart the county jail,” the witness stated, in response to court docket information. “I don’t know should you guys perceive this, however Mosca will get a really giant sum of money being put in that county jail.”
Witness Intimidation
“Smokey,” in custody on an unrelated cost, was visited by a lady, Christina Davalos, who held up a notice to the glass partition within the visiting room. If he talked to the police, the message stated, “I’ll kill you and your loved ones simply to let you understand to not fuck with the Eme.” Smokey instructed prosecutors he believed Torres had written the notice. Smokey then realized he was on the “inexperienced gentle listing” to be killed and cooperated. He was later granted immunity and testified in regards to the capturing.
“Diablo” Mendoza, having survived the capturing, initially, stated he didn’t know who had shot him within the chest. Later, in 2005, he testified that “Smokey,” not Torres, had shot him. Prosecutors believed his testimony was attributable to Mexican Mafia threats made in direction of Mendoza. He additionally gave testimony that contradicted what was stated by different witnesses.
Mendoza admitted having misrepresented himself as being a part of the Mexican Mafia to tax folks for cash and medicines that he would use for himself. He additionally admitted there have been not less than two male Hispanics standing in entrance of the condominium door simply earlier than the capturing.
A yr after the trial, in 2008, Mendoza was gunned down in North Hills by a still-unidentified particular person.
Torres was convicted of tried homicide, threatening witnesses, and different crimes together with a gang enhancement and his third strike offense. He was sentenced to jail for 133 years to life. He started his keep on the New Folsom jail in December 2007.
 |
Federal Indictment with Aryan Brotherhood
The investigation had began in 2014, concentrating on members of the Vallejo-based gang Household Affiliated Irish Mafia (FAIM). Heroin buys by an undercover DEA Agent from feminine FAIM member Jeanna Quesenberry revealed that she was speaking instantly with AB member Ronald “Renegade” Yandall for trafficking heroin and meth.
Authorities obtained a warrant to faucet Yandell’s contraband cellphone in the summertime of 2016, and say they recorded upward of 1,800 calls, offering proof about homicide plots, heroin and meth trafficking, and directing different crimes and the gang’s enterprise.
 |
Michael “Mosca” Torres was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, it was famous he was a part of the ‘AB/Mexican Mafia Alliance’ within the indictment. Yandell and Travis Burhop, who was incarcerated in Calpatria State Jail, had been intercepted on smuggled-in cell telephones saying that the heroin from “Mosca for 600” was “the shit”. Which means that Torres had coordinated the sale of an oz. of heroin to the group for $600.
.jpeg) |
 |
| Matt “Cyco” Corridor, a PEN1 gang member, died by suicide in his cell. |
Additional conversations revealed that Orange County PEN1 (Public Enemy Quantity One) gang member, and at the moment, a possible AB member, Matt “Cyco” Corridor managed road distribution and despatched a refund as much as the AB members. Cash had been paid both by PO Field, cash order, or Paypal. Corridor turned a fugitive following the indictment and hanged himself in his jail cell after being arrested in Costa Rica.
 |
Yandell had been trying to additional buy heroin from Mosca and preserve shopping for bigger portions. The faucets disclosed that Yandell sought to purchase bigger portions at heavier reductions and had instructed Jeanna they’d ultimately turn into “The Cartel.”
Yandell directed Jeanna that they may get the $100 per ounce low cost if her buyer (the undercover DEA Agent) would buy over 9 ounces of “black” heroin twice a month.
In August 2016, Sylvester was caught with contraband and shortly after, Yandell referred to as Burhop to have cash orders despatched and held for Sylvester because of this. He additionally referred to as a person, believed to be “Mosca” telling him about it and that they need to discuss in particular person at Folsom jail days later in regards to the points to keep away from utilizing their cellphones. Yandell spoke with Mosca, trying to coordinate the acquisition of the kilo for $24,000. Mosca stated the worth can be $25,000, however was reminded by Yandell that Sylvester had talked about the worth was instructed to him by Mosca to be between $22,000 and $24,000.
 |
Yandell instructed Jeanna the truth that Mosca had “a vast provide” of heroin they usually seemed to buy kilograms at an additional low cost for $20,000, particularly as the standard of earlier heroin from Torres had been low. Torres himself questioned the high-quality declare from his provider and that he would look to get high-quality heroin offered at a decrease price to make up for it and supply three ounces free.
 |
Authorities seized heroin related to Mosca from a Burhop-linked stash home in Fontana, California.
 |
| Yandell and Sylvester. |
Yandell was charged as a frontrunner of the Yandell-Sylvester DTO (Drug Trafficking Group) alongside along with his Folsom cellmate, fellow AB member William “Willie from Norco” Sylvester. The ring was caught with 43 cell telephones.
Yandell turned a member of the Federal Aryan Brotherhood program whereas serving a 10-year federal jail sentence for meth trafficking within the Nineteen Nineties. Shortly after his 2001 jail launch, he dedicated a double murder in Costa County, California, and was sentenced to life in California state jail in 2004. His standing grew shortly within the California jail system, having been a part of the federal system.
He ultimately turned a part of the AB’s Three-Man Fee, together with Daniel Troxell, and Edgar “The Snail” Hevle. Federal prosecutors use the RICO act as a typical tactic towards high-ranking jail gang members, many imprisoned for all times in state prisons. The objective is to take away them from their connections, and gang base in state jail programs, spreading their affect into the federal jail system. The jail gangs grew all through California similarly after CDCR authorities transferred gang leaders to totally different prisons.
 |
| Sylvester zip-tied following his killing of fellow inmate Ronald Richardson in 2011. |
Sylvester had gained membership to ‘The Model’ in 2011 following his killing of Folsom inmate Ronald Richardson of their small train yard. Richardson was a member of the skinhead gang USAS (United Society of Aryan Skinheads). The USAS had defied AB member management and have been actively making an attempt to type an alliance of skinhead jail gangs that would rival the Aryan Brotherhood as an impartial white gang and take away their base of energy in numerous California prisons. AB members got the inexperienced gentle and anticipated to assault any USAS and allied gang members.
Travis Burhop had been distributing medicine in Calipatria jail, extra successfully than the Mexicans in the identical jail. Yandell instructed him that killing any white inmate that purchased medicine from one other race would preserve folks in line. Burhop stated that Mexican inmates owed him cash for medicine.
 |
| Donald “Popeye” Mazza being baptized. |
Donald “Popeye” Mazza, the founding father of the PEN1 skinhead gang, and an Aryan Brotherhood member, was additionally charged within the RICO case of conspiring to homicide AB member Michael “Thumper” Trippe. He was arrested in 2019 and launched pending trial largely attributable to “Thumper” writing a letter stating he did not consider Mazza supposed to hold out the conspiracy and Mazza changing to Christianity. Mazza ultimately pleaded responsible and admitted his function and gang membership in 2022. He disappeared from the jail registry in September 2021.
Travis Burhop’s identify additionally was faraway from the jail registry on the similar time. He too pleaded responsible in 2022, admitting that his “coronary heart wasn’t within the homicide plot” concentrating on one other AB member James Mickey. In each agreements, federal prosecutors gave Burhop and Mazza an excuse: that they agreed to assist and abet murders as a result of they have been afraid of being subsequent on the chopping block, however they actually didn’t wish to. Six folks complete within the federal indictment pleaded responsible.
Following their cooperation, extra costs have been added final yr and the trial had initially been scheduled to start in March 2023 and was additional delayed after numerous motions have been filed and California prosecutors dropped state homicide costs towards two defendants citing the prolonged delays within the federal trial on the identical costs have been losing native court docket sources and cash. The trial was postponed till early 2024. And now, particularly with the dying of Torres, the trial could also be even additional delayed.
.webp) |
LA County Jail & Road Taxes
In 2016, Torres seized management of the Los Angeles County jail system from his Folsom jail cell, in response to proof offered in prosecutions of his lieutenants. This was following an influence wrestle between numerous Mexican Mafia lieutenants who ran the LA jails for Mexican Mafia member Eulalio “Lalo” Martinez after he died of a heroin overdose in 2013. whereas imprisoned at Pelican Bay. Torres had managed the LA County Males’s Central Jail previous to Martinez when Mosca was housed there from 2003-2007 throughout his tried homicide trial. As Torres went to jail in 2007, Martinez was set to be launched from Pelican Bay however was arrested for his involvement in a 1998 homicide of a person that Martinez believed was concerned within the dying of his brother and was held in LA County Jail.
“Mosca” oversaw the Mexican Mafia’s two foremost LA jail rackets. One was “the kitty,” a pot of commissary gadgets collected from Latino inmates after which bought. The opposite was the 33% tax imposed on all drug gross sales. A micromanager, Torres would name his underlings utilizing contraband cellphones and demand an accounting of all the cash being made and the names of everybody dealing with it.
Torres distributed the Males’s Central Jail proceeds amongst all Mexican Mafia members, his lieutenant instructed authorities in 2017. And splitting the cash from “Wayside,” the jail advanced in Castaic, California, between himself and one other Mexican Mafia member, Jose “Joker” Gonzalez. The lieutenant stated he collected $12,000 per week from the jails on Torres’ behalf.
Exterior the jails, Torres taxed gangs and drug sellers within the San Fernando and Antelope Valleys, investing the money in professional companies and actual property, in response to gang members who labored beneath him.
Torres Requested for Switch to Gen Pop
“I consider the federal government colluded with its brokers CDCR to make use of the pretext of an alleged investigation to maintain me in ad-seg,” Torres wrote.
Federal prosecutors countered the movement, arguing that Torres was a hazard to others, and wrote in a lawsuit that he was caught with a handcuff key throughout a cell search. Prosecutors additionally stated he was caught with a notice to a different inmate, “Lee,” discussing heroin gross sales and an obvious dispute over cash.
