A man charged in the killings of a man and his pregnant wife to keep them from testifying in a San Diego drug trafficking case pleaded guilty to federal charges Monday.

Benjamin Madrigal-Birrueta, 22, is slated to be sentenced next year in connection with the slayings of Cesar Armando Murillo, 44, and Maira Sofia Hernandez, 33.

Prosecutors said the victims each died of multiple gunshots to the head and their bodies were buried in a desert area near Yakima, Washington.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Madrigal-Birrueta had a leading role in a drug trafficking enterprise that involved using stolen vehicles to smuggle drugs through San Diego-area ports of entry.

The investigation into the drug smuggling led agents to Yakima, where investigators interviewed Murillo and Hernandez in

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