SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A federal jury in San Diego has found a man guilty for his role in the 2020 kidnapping and killing of an 18-year-old United States citizen in Tijuana. The U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California reports Brian Alexis Patron Lopez, 23, of Tijuana, Mexico,  was found guilty of all charges on Wednesday following a seven-day trial. Jury deliberations lasted less than a full day. Patron was found guilty of his role in the kidnapping, hostage-taking, torture, and murder of an 18-year-old U.S. citizen, who has not been identified publicly by the court. According to the court, Patron is accused of taking part in abducting the victim from a Tijuana, Mexico, hotel on May 29, 2020. The victim was later beaten and fatally shot while a ransom was being sought. Man in court for suspected countywide crime spree The court alleges the victim's treatment was punishment for a dispute over a stolen load of methamphetamine that was supposed to have been smuggled into the United States. According to evidence presented at the trial, on May 29, 2020, at 11:57 p.m., Patron and others forcibly removed the victim from his hotel room and punched, kicked, and pistol-whipped him before placing him in a car and taking him to Patron's neighborhood, where the beatings reportedly continued. During that time, the court reports Patron and the others involved were demanding ransoms -- ranging from a few thousand dollars to methamphetamine -- to the victim's family in exchange for his release while the beatings continued. Patron and the others are then accused of taking the victim to a different motel in Tijuana, then an apartment, before taking him to a deserted hillside the night of May 30, 2020. The court alleges that's when Patron fatally shot the victim, while his family was attempting to pay his ransom. Freshly dug grave on family property deemed ‘suspicious’ by authorities The victim was found on the hillside in Tijuana six days after his initial abduction. Patron has been found guilty by a jury on all counts, including Intentional Killing While Engaged in Drug Trafficking, Hostage Taking Resulting in Death, and Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking Resulting in Death. During the trial, some of the evidence presented that connected Patron to the crimes included Facebook messages between Patron and co-conspirators about the crimes, and surveillance video that captured the kidnapping outside a Tijuana hotel.  The court reports the video shows Patron wearing a jacket that matched the one he wore earlier in the night. He also left behind a bracelet at the kidnapping, which was recovered by law enforcement. That same bracelet was seen on Patron in Facebook photos posted before the murder. Jurors were also presented with the call logs and WhatsApp messages with the ransom demands and proof-of-life evidence. Drugs, stolen checks found in getaway car, North County motel room He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025. “This is a heartbreaking tragedy, where a young man lost his life, leaving his family shattered,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Drug traffickers are ruthless and will stop at nothing. But their resolve pales in comparison to the commitment of the United States to the safety of its citizens wherever they may be. This kidnapping and murder of a U.S. citizen happened in the dark corners and remote ravines of Tijuana, at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the incredible assistance of FBI San Diego and our Mexican counterparts, our prosecution team did not rest until justice was served for the victims of this heinous senseless cruelty.” “Today’s verdict is an impactful outcome to a ruthless, vicious, and violent hostage taking and murder, and brings justice to the victim’s family,” said San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “FBI San Diego will continue to be a formidable force against drug cartels and cartel violence, which threaten the safety and security of Americans both here and abroad and devastate our communities.” This case was investigated by the FBI, and is part of Operation Take Back America, and a result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). ...read more read less