Ronaldo Ayala, who was sentenced to death in 1989 for murder, allegedly turned death row into a base of power, commanding a criminal network that spanned from San Diego to Seattle. Federal prosecutors have charged Ayala with racketeering for his alleged role in a partnership with the Sinaloa cartel.
In 1989, Ronaldo Ayala was sentenced to death for the murders of three men at a San Diego auto repair shop. Instead of facing execution at San Quentin, the reputed Mexican Mafia member transformed death row into a power base, according to law enforcement authorities and former gang members. Ayala, 74, allegedly collected extortion payments, trafficked drugs, and orchestrated acts of violence through a vast network of associates spanning from San Diego to Seattle.
Ayala, who was transferred last year from San Quentin to Centinela state prison as Governor Gavin Newsom abolished death row, has yet to enter a plea on federal racketeering charges filed in Sacramento. Prosecutors allege that Ayala conspired with members of the Sinaloa cartel to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl across the western United States. It remains unclear if Ayala is represented by legal counsel.A concise indictment released on Friday alleges that Ayala oversaw a partnership between the Mexican Mafia and the Sinaloa cartel, Mexico's most dominant drug trafficking organization, and offered protection to its former leader, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. The indictment does not clarify whether Guzman accepted or even required the alleged protection offer, as the former kingpin is currently serving a life sentence at ADX Florence, a high-security federal penitentiary in Colorado where inmate contact is prohibited. San Diego has produced numerous Mexican Mafia members, but none as influential as Ayala, a witness informed FBI agents in 2023. The witness, identified as Ayala's alleged liaison to gang members in the San Diego area, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and received a lengthy prison sentence.According to a transcript of the witness's interview with the FBI, Ayala divided the San Diego area with two other alleged Mexican Mafia members: his brother Hector and Richard Buchanan. Buchanan controlled the eastern side of San Diego and much of its South Bay region. Ayala's brother managed North County and Chula Vista, while Ronaldo Ayala claimed Spring Valley, Paradise Hills, National City, and 'everything else,' the witness stated. 'At the end of the day,' she told the agents, 'this is Ronnie's city.' The witness further revealed that Ayala collected a recurring payment dubbed 'the light bill' from the San Diego County jail system, which he split with his brother and Buchanan. Every module within the jail system was obligated to contribute $50 per month through CashApp, the witness explained to the agents. Ayala's subordinates operated various illicit ventures, according to the witness. Some procured methamphetamine in Tijuana and transported it to San Bernardino or Texas. Others managed casitas, illegal gambling dens, or 'trap houses' where individuals could purchase and use drugs. In 2022, San Diego County prosecutors charged seven individuals with operating a trap house in the Encanto neighborhood for Ayala. Ayala's representative in San Ysidro, Juan 'Sleepy' Castro, oversaw loan-sharking and human smuggling operations in addition to drug trafficking, as stated in court documents filed by prosecutors. Castro was sentenced in 2023 to 10 years in prison for methamphetamine trafficking. Because he resided on death row with prominent gang members from across California, Ayala's influence extended beyond San Diego, the witness informed the FBI. The indictment unsealed this week alleges that Ayala collected 'taxes' from Riverside, Sacramento, San Francisco, and even Seattle, where prosecutors claim gang members operating under Ayala committed an arson attack on a musician who, in a music video, asserted to have 'mafia' connections. Two reputed members of Seattle's United Lokotes gang, Samuel 'Payaso' Morales and Alexis 'Menace' Rodriguez, are also accused of extorting the unnamed musician whose property was burned.Angel 'Snappy' Esparza, who was sentenced to death row for murdering three people in Riverside County, allegedly aided Ayala in collecting 'taxes' on drug sales from the Sinaloa cartel partnership, according to the indictment. Ronald 'Temper' Sepulveda, whom Ayala referred to as 'our main supporter,' oversaw the reputed Mexican Mafia member's affairs in Riverside County, including the extortion of musicians, prosecutors allege. Allen 'Frankie Chino' Fong, a San José gang member serving a 17-year prison term for assault, is charged with collecting 'taxes' for Ayala while incarcerated at the state prison in Solano
Mexican Mafia Sinaloa Cartel Racketeering Death Row Drug Trafficking Extortion Gang Violence
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