Three members of the notorious MS-13 gang have been sentenced to life in prison following their convictions for racketeering conspiracy and multiple murders tied to the organization’s violent operations in Maryland.
Wilson Arturo Constanza-Galdomez, 26, of El Salvador, Edis Omar Valenzuela-Rodriguez, 24, of Honduras, and Jonathan Pesquera-Puerto, 24, also of Honduras, were each found guilty at trial of participating in a RICO conspiracy that included brutal acts of violence carried out to advance their standing within MS-13, a federally designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to prosecutors, the defendants carried out and ordered attacks involving machetes and knives, targeting individuals they believed were rivals or cooperators. Authorities say these acts were meant to earn recognition from MS-13 leadership and strengthen their positions within the gang.
Federal officials described the crimes as especially disturbing, noting that several of the victims were young women — including a 16-year-old girl who was lured to a remote area near Loch Raven Reservoir in May 2020 and murdered. In another attack weeks later, a woman was stabbed more than 140 times and left near railroad tracks in Baltimore.
Court records also detail an April 2020 machete attack that left a man severely injured, as well as a June 2020 ambush in which a man and his girlfriend were stabbed repeatedly. Both survived, though the woman was the sister of a prior murder victim.
Investigators explained that MS-13 operates through localized “cliques” across the United States and Central America, requiring members to commit violent acts — often against rival gangs like the 18th Street Gang — to prove loyalty and rise in rank.
The case resulted in the convictions of six MS-13 members overall and was investigated jointly by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Baltimore County and Baltimore City Police Departments, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Prosecutors said the sentences send a clear message that violent transnational gangs will be pursued aggressively and dismantled through coordinated federal and local law-enforcement efforts.
Anyone with information about MS-13 activity is encouraged to contact federal authorities. Tips can be submitted to the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 or to Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Post a Comment