'Murder Squad' Gang Member Says He Killed 'For Sport'

An additional individual who was a part of the so-called “Murder Squad” in the state of California and who reportedly “killed for sport” by going on “hunts” for people they suspected of being members of rival gangs while also slaying innocent bystanders has entered a guilty plea to being a participant in the bloodshed.

After entering a guilty plea on Tuesday in federal court, Andrew Alvarado, who is 34 years old, was slated to be sentenced in July for his involvement in the “Murder Squad” mayhem, which involved at least 11 murders in Salinas. According to KSBW, a local NBC affiliate, Alvarado was directly engaged in three of the murders.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, he was involved in the planning and execution of many shootings. They have also been tied to a multitude of other crimes, such as robbery, drug trafficking, and the sale of illicit firearms. He and his co-defendants from “Murder Squad” have been accused of committing these crimes.

In court documents, it is detailed that the organisation was involved in at least 17 attempted murders and 11 killings between the years of 2015 and 2018. In September, five members were given sentences that totalled 161 years in prison for the killings that they were responsible for.

U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, who announced the defendants’ sentences in a news release dated September 2024, stated that the defendants, who were known by nicknames such as “Gunner” and “Hitter” and ranged in age from 27 to 37, were responsible for terrorising the city of Salinas and permanently altering the lives of “so many innocent members of our community.”

Ramsey remarked that the behaviour of the defendants was “reprehensible,” as reported in the court files. These guys will, as they should, spend the next few decades of their lives behind bars as a result of the close coordination that has existed between state and federal law enforcement over the course of many years.

Shocky “Gunner” Tavale, age 27, was given a sentence of 41 years in prison; John “Romeo” Magat, age 37, was given a sentence of 37 years; Anthony “Hitter” “Tony Boronda” Valdez, age 27, was given a sentence of 31 years; Anelu “Angel” Tavale, age 28, was given a sentence of 27 years; and Mark Anthony “Tony from Santa Rita” Garcia, age 33, was given a sentence of 25 years. In May, they entered a guilty plea to the charges of racketeering conspiracy and murder.

The group is purportedly associated with a group that is commonly referred to as “Norteños,” which is a street gang that operates in Northern California. A city with a population of 163,542 and located more than 100 miles south of San Francisco, Salinas, was the location where they sought out rival “Sureños,” also known as members of Southern California street gangs or anyone they believed were linked with them.

During their hunts, the gang employed strategies that the prosecutors referred to as military-style methods. As they travelled, they were accompanied by cars that were designated as shooters and spotters. The individuals they targeted were Hispanic men, guys who shaved their heads, and those who wore blue, which is the colour of the competitor.

They would occasionally “hit up” their victims to check their gang status before shooting them, but they did not always wait for an answer before firing, according to the prosecutors. Once they chose a target, they would sometimes continue to fire them. Following the emptying of their magazines, they began to flee while the spotter vehicle followed behind them in an effort to divert or intercept law enforcement.

Prosecutors stated that the majority of the group’s victims were not linked with any other criminal organisations and were simply random persons who were caught in their crosshairs. This was despite the fact that the group intended to target members of competing gangs.

It was stated that Alvarado admitted to taking part in at least six “hunts” in which he played the role of the shooter on three separate occasions. On those occasions, there were three fatalities and one injury. A meeting was held to honour the family of a co-conspirator who had been murdered in a vehicle accident. Alvarado, along with other members of the gang, left the celebration and went out to target rival gangbangers. This was the beginning of one of the hunts.

As a shooter and a spotter, Alvarado is set to be sentenced on July 15th. His sentence is scheduled to be handed down. According to reports, he is facing a sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000 for a racketeering charge to which he pleaded guilty. Additionally, he is facing a sentence of ten years in jail for conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in addition to another fine of $250,000.