When a Los Angeles drug dealer wouldn’t pay taxes to the 18th Street gang, the order to kill them allegedly came from a high-ranking female member known as “Moms.”
Along with allegedly ordering the 2022 murder, prosecutors accuse Keiko Gonzalez — also known as La Señora and La Reina — of overseeing the gang’s criminal activity, collecting rent, extortionate taxes and fines and disciplining members, including one shot in the leg and repeatedly struck in the head with a brick.
Prosecutors laid out the case in an indictment, unsealed Thursday morning, charging seven suspected members and associates of the gang, including Gonzalez, with racketeering and other charges. Gonzalez allegedly received her marching orders from a Mexican Mafia member held in a California state prison.
Early Thursday morning, FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that local and federal authorities had executed a takedown of the 18th Street gang, arresting several members and seizing illegal narcotics, cash and firearms.
Authorities are expected to provide more details at a Thursday morning news conference.
In addition to Gonzalez, the defendants identified in Thursday’s indictment were Edward Escalante, Edward Alvarenga, George Carillo, Carlos Beltran, Felipe De Los Angeles and Edwin Martinez.
According to the indictment, 18th Street was controlled by at least three Mexican Mafia members in federal prison and one in California state prison. Prosecutors allege it was the latter — identified in the indictment only as “Co-Conspirator 1” — who maintained ultimate control over the gang.
Co-Conspirator 1 was allegedly able to orchestrate drug trafficking and other activities via calls on contraband phones. Prosecutors allege that Gonzalez served under Co-Conspirator 1 and directly communicated with them.
According to the indictment, Co-Conspirator 1 would lead 18th Street on behalf of the Mexican Mafia from within prison by issuing rules and orders to Gonzalez and others.
Gonzalez allegedly directed drug trafficking, violence, and other criminal activities within 18th Street territory, including extortion and mediating gang disputes.
Prosecutors allege Gonzalez and Escalante supplied 18th Street gang members and associates with meth and other narcotics. Martinez would allegedly operate “casitas” within the gang’s territory, from which 18th Street members and associates would engage in illegal gambling and sell drugs.
According to the indictment, Gonzalez, Carillo, Beltran and De Los Angeles would participate in disciplining members or others deemed to have interfered with the gang’s criminal activities.
Among the alleged crimes was the murder of a drug dealer identified in the indictment only by their initials, M.Z. Prosecutors allege that around July 2022, Gonzalez ordered the murder of M.Z. for failing to pay extortionate taxes on drug trafficking activities in 18th Street-controlled territory.
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