Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report
February 23, 2026
The “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report” in the last week of February 2026 has for northwest regional and national radio listeners and website followers a report on a federal law enforcement identified foreign national illegal alien convicted in a jury trial of drug and firearms crimes. The alien’s criminal case is being adjudicated in a U.S. District Court in the state of California.
Some background information, on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California (USAOSDC) issued a press release titled “Jury Convicts Mexican National of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Murders of Couple and their Unborn Child” who the subject of interest was identified as Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California – Case Number: 23CR1684-DMS).
Here are extended excerpts from USAOSDC’s February 11, 2026 press release on Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas:
“SAN DIEGO – A federal jury today convicted Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas, a Mexican national in the country illegally, of drug and firearms crimes.
Orizaba was working for the drug trafficking organization implicated in the fatal shootings of a husband and his pregnant wife, who were also members of the same drug trafficking organization but wanted out and had spoken to federal agents.
After six hours of deliberation, the jury found Orizaba guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl and Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
According to evidence presented at trial, Orizaba was working as a drug dealer and enforcer for a drug-trafficking organization based in Yakima, Washington, which sourced its drugs from Mexico and moved them through ports-of-entry in the Southern District of California.
The cell’s activities were centered at a remote desert ranch outside of Yakima, where they stored drugs, firearms, and stolen vehicles. Orizaba worked for cell leader Benjamin (“Tony”) Madrigal-Birrueta, selling drugs sourced by Madrigal, collecting debts owed to the organization, protecting the organization’s property, and protecting Madrigal’s leadership of the organization.
On February 8, 2023, agents arrested Orizaba and executed a search warrant at his home. They seized 11 bags of fentanyl pills and three bags of heroin, along with an AR-15 rifle with a scope, large amounts of cash, a drum magazine with ammunition, other magazines for rifles and handguns, various caliber ammunition, body armor, a scale, and an electronic money counter – all from Orizaba’s bedroom.
The evidence showed that the case began with a traffic stop of Orizaba’s brother and Madrigal’s brother, which led to the discovery of 150,000 fentanyl pills in the car registered to one of the eventual murder victims, Maira Hernandez. The subsequent investigation led authorities to Hernandez and her husband, Cesar Murillo, both of whom had been involved in the drug trafficking cell with Madrigal and Orizaba.
On August 23, 2022, agents approached Hernandez –by this time visibly pregnant– at her home, questioning her about load vehicles registered to her and money transfers she sent to load drivers. Hernandez admitted to sending the money, consented to an inspection of her phone, and agreed to ask her husband to speak to the agents. The next day, Murillo voluntarily met with agents and surrendered a stolen vehicle connected to the conspiracy.
At the trial, a witness testified that Madrigal was at the couple’s home when federal agents arrived and was aware that the agents later spoke with Hernandez and Murillo. The trial witness said this visit led to an argument, during which Hernandez and Murillo told Madrigal they wanted to quit the drug business and cooperate with the investigation. Madrigal grew angry, saying something to the effect of, “You are not leaving me alone with this.”
The following weekend, Madrigal asked Murillo to accompany him to the Yakima Ranch; it was the last time Murillo was seen alive. After Murillo failed to return home or contact her, Hernandez grew anxious. A few days later, Madrigal contacted Hernandez and told her to come to the Yakima Ranch to reunite with her husband.
On September 2, 2022, Hernandez was dropped off at a parking lot near Yakima. She left in a car with Madrigal, never to be seen again.
Six days later, agents in Yakima executed search warrants at the couple’s residence and the Yakima Ranch. While they found evidence of drug distribution in both locations, and seized approximately 37 firearms from the Yakima Ranch, they did not find Hernandez or Murillo.
What followed was an exhaustive, years’ long investigation that employed geophysicists, ground penetrating radar, aircraft, laser imaging, chemical testing of the soil, numerous cadaver dogs, and other law enforcement techniques to search for the victims’ remains. More than a year after their deaths, HSI Special Agents successfully recovered the remains on September 13, 2023, aided by a Washington State Police Crime Scene Investigations team.
Madrigal pleaded guilty in September 2025, admitting that he and coconspirators fatally shot 44-year-old Murillo multiple times in the back of the head and the torso on August 28, 2022, during an argument at the remote Yakima ranch. He also admitted that on September 2, 2022, Madrigal persuaded Hernandez, 33, who was unaware of her husband’s death, to come to the ranch by claiming her husband was waiting for her there. Madrigal admitted that when Hernandez arrived at the ranch, his co-conspirators shot her multiple times in the head. The child died in utero when Hernandez was shot, killed and buried.
Orizaba is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw on May 29, 2026, at 9 a.m.” – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
For informational purposes the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” sent via e-mail on February 12, 2026 a copy of the USAOSDC press release on Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Public Affairs for the Northwest Region which encompasses the states of Alaska, Oregon and Washington, furthermore, ICE Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.
A more than week later no information has been made available to the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” from ICE Public Affairs on ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) role in the take down of criminal illegal alien drug trafficker Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas.
Presentencing, on Monday February 23, 2026 Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas, age 23, was not in custody of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) even though he has been assigned BOP Register Number: 43753-510.
When Mexican national Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas does end up being in the custody of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) he will likely join more than 24-thousand criminal aliens in the BOP prison system.
Lars, the last week of February 2026 and another “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” for Lars Larson Show KXL FM 101.1 northwest regional and national radio show listeners and website followers.
David Olen Cross (docfnc) is a reporter on foreign national crime. He is a more than decade long contributor to the “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report.” His past crime reporting can be found at http://docfnc.wordpress.com/.
https://docfnc.wordpress.com/2026/02/23/lars-larson-show-criminal-alien-of-the-week-report-431/