Overview
- Andrew Nunez, 16, and Johncarlo Quintero, 17, admitted in federal court they acted as hired hitmen for the Sinaloa Cartel while serving the Westside Wilmas gang.
- They acknowledged two attempts within about five hours in Chula Vista in March 2024, including a Chili’s parking lot shooting and a later attack at an apartment that wounded a friend of the target.
- The teens pleaded guilty to Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and to Murder in Aid of Racketeering for the death of accomplice Ricardo Sanchez, who was shot by a resident in self-defense under the provocative‑act doctrine.
- Plea agreements state each expected about $50,000 for the hit and that they acted to gain standing in Westside Wilmas, which prosecutors say operates in association with the Mexican Mafia.
- Officials say the pair were recruited because they were under 16 and not eligible for adult prosecution in California; sentencing is set for March 20, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Todd Robinson, and DOJ has not publicly named the intended target.