A chilling investigation that began with a 2021 drug seizure at San Diego ports of entry has revealed the gruesome killings of a Washington couple and their unborn child. Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta, a convicted drug ring leader, admitted to murdering 44-year-old Cesar Murillo and his 33-year-old pregnant wife, Maira Hernandez, to silence them as witnesses in a federal probe. U.S. authorities said Madrigal-Birrueta, an undocumented Mexican national, coordinated the killings with co-conspirators during a drug trafficking dispute.
ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) uncovered the victims’ remains in September 2023 at a Yakima ranch after Madrigal-Birrueta directed their burial. Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas, charged as a co-conspirator and accessory, is scheduled for trial in October.
HSI Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer emphasized the extensive reach of cartel influence, showing how organized crime infiltrates the U.S. to silence witnesses and spread fear. U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath called the killings an attack on the justice system.
The investigation also led to seizures of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, firearms—including a machine gun—and body armor linked to Madrigal-Birrueta’s operation. HSI San Diego investigator Chad Plantz highlighted the meticulous, years-long efforts to expose the crime.
Madrigal-Birrueta is set for sentencing on March 27, 2026, while Orizaba-Zendejas faces trial as an accessory to murder and participant in the drug trafficking operation.
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