He admitted to luring Hernandez, unaware her husband had been killed, to the ranch by claiming Murillo was waiting for her there.
minute read
A federal jury has convicted Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas of conspiring to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and of possessing a firearm to further a drug trafficking crime in a case tied to the killings of a Yakima, Washington, couple who investigators say tried to leave the operation and cooperate with federal agents.
After about six hours of deliberations, jurors found Orizaba, a Mexican national in the United States illegally, guilty on both counts. Prosecutors said he worked as a dealer and enforcer for a drug trafficking cell based in Yakima, Washington, that sourced narcotics from Mexico and moved them through ports of entry in the Southern District of California before distributing them in central Washington.
According to trial evidence, federal agents arrested Orizaba on February 8, 2023, and executed a search warrant at his home. Investigators testified they found 11 bags of fentanyl pills and three bags of heroin, along with an AR-15-style rifle fitted with a scope, large amounts of cash, ammunition, and magazines, including a drum magazine, body armor, a scale, and an electronic money counter, all in his bedroom.
Authorities described Orizaba as working under alleged cell leader Benjamin “Tony” Madrigal-Birrueta, selling drugs supplied by Madrigal, collecting debts, and helping protect the organization’s property and leadership. The group’s hub, investigators said, was a remote desert ranch outside Yakima where members stored drugs, firearms, and stolen vehicles.
The investigation began with a traffic stop involving Orizaba’s brother and Madrigal’s brother, which led authorities to discover roughly 150,000 fentanyl pills inside a vehicle registered to one of the later murder victims, Maira Hernandez, prosecutors said. That traffic stop and ensuing investigative leads brought federal agents to Hernandez and her husband, Cesar Murillo, both of whom, authorities say, were involved in the same trafficking cell. On August 23, 2022, agents approached Hernandez at her home. She was visibly pregnant at the time, according to the evidence. Agents questioned her about “load vehicles” registered to her name and money transfers she had sent to drivers moving narcotics. Hernandez admitted sending the money, allowed agents to inspect her phone, and agreed to encourage her husband to speak with investigators.
Murillo met with agents voluntarily the next day, prosecutors said, and surrendered a stolen vehicle tied to the conspiracy. At trial, a witness testified Madrigal was present at the couple’s home when federal agents arrived and knew agents later spoke with Hernandez and Murillo. The witness said the encounter triggered an argument in which Hernandez and Murillo told Madrigal they wanted to quit the drug business and cooperate with authorities. Madrigal became angry, the witness testified, saying something along the lines of: “You are not leaving me alone with this.”
Prosecutors said that the following weekend, Madrigal asked Murillo to go with him to the Yakima ranch. Murillo was never seen again. When he failed to return home or contact her, Hernandez grew increasingly anxious, the evidence showed. Days later, Madrigal allegedly told Hernandez to come to the ranch to reunite with her husband.
On September 2, 2022, Hernandez was dropped off at a parking lot near Yakima, prosecutors said. She left in a car with Madrigal and was never seen alive again. Six days later, agents executed search warrants at the couple’s residence and the Yakima ranch. Investigators testified they found evidence of drug distribution at both locations and seized approximately 37 firearms from the ranch, but did not locate Hernandez or Murillo.
Authorities then launched what prosecutors called an exhaustive, years-long search involving geophysicists, ground-penetrating radar, aircraft, laser imaging, soil testing, cadaver dogs, and other specialized techniques. More than a year after the victims’ deaths, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents recovered the victims’ remains on September 13, 2023, assisted by the Washington State Police Crime Scene Investigations team.
Madrigal pleaded guilty in September 2025. In his plea, he admitted that he and co-conspirators shot Murillo, 44, multiple times at the Yakima ranch on August 28, 2022, during an argument. He also admitted he later lured Hernandez, 33, unaware her husband had been killed, to the ranch by claiming Murillo was waiting for her there. Madrigal admitted that co-conspirators shot Hernandez multiple times in the head when she arrived. Prosecutors said her unborn child died in utero.
Orizaba is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Dana Sabraw on May 29, 2026, and is facing life in prison.
After about six hours of deliberations, jurors found Orizaba, a Mexican national in the United States illegally, guilty on both counts. Prosecutors said he worked as a dealer and enforcer for a drug trafficking cell based in Yakima, Washington, that sourced narcotics from Mexico and moved them through ports of entry in the Southern District of California before distributing them in central Washington.
According to trial evidence, federal agents arrested Orizaba on February 8, 2023, and executed a search warrant at his home. Investigators testified they found 11 bags of fentanyl pills and three bags of heroin, along with an AR-15-style rifle fitted with a scope, large amounts of cash, ammunition, and magazines, including a drum magazine, body armor, a scale, and an electronic money counter, all in his bedroom.
Authorities described Orizaba as working under alleged cell leader Benjamin “Tony” Madrigal-Birrueta, selling drugs supplied by Madrigal, collecting debts, and helping protect the organization’s property and leadership. The group’s hub, investigators said, was a remote desert ranch outside Yakima where members stored drugs, firearms, and stolen vehicles.
The investigation began with a traffic stop involving Orizaba’s brother and Madrigal’s brother, which led authorities to discover roughly 150,000 fentanyl pills inside a vehicle registered to one of the later murder victims, Maira Hernandez, prosecutors said. That traffic stop and ensuing investigative leads brought federal agents to Hernandez and her husband, Cesar Murillo, both of whom, authorities say, were involved in the same trafficking cell. On August 23, 2022, agents approached Hernandez at her home. She was visibly pregnant at the time, according to the evidence. Agents questioned her about “load vehicles” registered to her name and money transfers she had sent to drivers moving narcotics. Hernandez admitted sending the money, allowed agents to inspect her phone, and agreed to encourage her husband to speak with investigators.
Murillo met with agents voluntarily the next day, prosecutors said, and surrendered a stolen vehicle tied to the conspiracy. At trial, a witness testified Madrigal was present at the couple’s home when federal agents arrived and knew agents later spoke with Hernandez and Murillo. The witness said the encounter triggered an argument in which Hernandez and Murillo told Madrigal they wanted to quit the drug business and cooperate with authorities. Madrigal became angry, the witness testified, saying something along the lines of: “You are not leaving me alone with this.”
Prosecutors said that the following weekend, Madrigal asked Murillo to go with him to the Yakima ranch. Murillo was never seen again. When he failed to return home or contact her, Hernandez grew increasingly anxious, the evidence showed. Days later, Madrigal allegedly told Hernandez to come to the ranch to reunite with her husband.
On September 2, 2022, Hernandez was dropped off at a parking lot near Yakima, prosecutors said. She left in a car with Madrigal and was never seen alive again. Six days later, agents executed search warrants at the couple’s residence and the Yakima ranch. Investigators testified they found evidence of drug distribution at both locations and seized approximately 37 firearms from the ranch, but did not locate Hernandez or Murillo.
Authorities then launched what prosecutors called an exhaustive, years-long search involving geophysicists, ground-penetrating radar, aircraft, laser imaging, soil testing, cadaver dogs, and other specialized techniques. More than a year after the victims’ deaths, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents recovered the victims’ remains on September 13, 2023, assisted by the Washington State Police Crime Scene Investigations team.
Madrigal pleaded guilty in September 2025. In his plea, he admitted that he and co-conspirators shot Murillo, 44, multiple times at the Yakima ranch on August 28, 2022, during an argument. He also admitted he later lured Hernandez, 33, unaware her husband had been killed, to the ranch by claiming Murillo was waiting for her there. Madrigal admitted that co-conspirators shot Hernandez multiple times in the head when she arrived. Prosecutors said her unborn child died in utero.
Orizaba is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Dana Sabraw on May 29, 2026, and is facing life in prison.
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