Four Canta Ranas Gang Members Sentenced in RICO Crackdown

Four violent members of the Mexican Mafia-linked Canta Ranas street gang have been slammed with federal prison sentences totaling decades behind bars for their roles in a sprawling criminal enterprise rooted in Santa Fe Springs and Whittier, California. The defendants were convicted in two separate jury trials in 2023 and sentenced this month on charges including racketeering, drug trafficking, and money laundering—crimes that terrorized local neighborhoods and fed a network of extortion and murder.

Donald Goulet, a.k.a. “Wacky,” 32, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being found guilty of RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. As a foot soldier, Goulet participated in a brutal home invasion robbery where he and an accomplice bound victims with duct tape at gunpoint, ransacking the residence. He also collected coercive “taxes” and facilitated drug shipments that fueled the gang’s operations.

Emanuel Higuera, a.k.a. “Blanco,” 34, received 17 years behind bars for his role in methamphetamine distribution and RICO conspiracy. Evidence showed Higuera regularly supplied drugs for Canta Ranas, helping finance the gang’s violent enforcement tactics. He was also convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, further solidifying the group’s grip on the underground narcotics trade.

Monica Rodriguez, a.k.a. “Smiley,” 41, was handed a 14-year sentence for acting as a liaison to imprisoned Mexican Mafia member David Gavaldon. While visiting Gavaldon at Pelican Bay State Prison, Rodriguez relayed orders to execute another gang member suspected of being an informant. She also drove her son to a gang meeting where he was beaten by Canta Ranas enforcers as punishment. Convicted of RICO conspiracy, drug distribution conspiracy, and money laundering, her role exposed deep ties between street gangs and prison-based syndicates.

Enrique Holguin, a.k.a. “Boxer,” 56, was sentenced earlier this month to 14 years in federal prison for RICO conspiracy and committing a violent act in aid of racketeering (VICAR). While detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, Holguin orchestrated an attempted assault on a fellow inmate believed to be cooperating with law enforcement—a move that underscored the gang’s reach even inside federal custody.

The convictions stem from a 2016 federal grand jury indictment charging 51 defendants, part of Operation “Frog Legs,” a sweeping investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) initiative. Participating agencies included Homeland Security Investigation, Whittier Police, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Corrections’ Special Service Unit. Prosecutors Carol Alexis Chen, Victoria A. Degtyareva, Kathy Yu, and Chelsea Norell of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section have secured over 20 convictions to date, dismantling key nodes in the Canta Ranas network.