WASHINGTON — An MS-13 gang member was sentenced July 26 to 35 years in jail for his homicide of a 19-year-old in 2015. The case was investigated by Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), the Hudson County Prosecutors Workplace, the FBI and West New York Police Division, with help from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Elimination Operations (ERO) Newark Discipline Workplace.
Based on courtroom paperwork and proof introduced on the trial of three co-defendants, Juan Garcia-Gomez, aka Scooby, 26, of El Salvador, conspired to take part within the affairs of Mara Salvatrucha, a violent legal gang often known as MS-13, based in Los Angeles and energetic in quite a few states throughout america, in addition to in El Salvador, Central America, and Mexico.
“Right now’s sentencing places not solely a violent assassin behind bars, however a confirmed gang member, narcotics trafficker, and extortioner: a severe menace to public security,” mentioned ICE Performing Deputy Director Patrick J. Lechleitner. “We’ll use each instrument out there to analyze transnational criminals, like this defendant, whose lack of humanity is profound. Our officers and particular brokers will proceed to work with our legislation enforcement companions to convey criminals to justice, whereas specializing in getting victims the help they want.”
MS-13 is ruled by a core algorithm, together with a standing order to kill rival gang members and a strict rule towards cooperating with legislation enforcement. MS-13 is organized right into a sequence of sub-units, or “cliques,” that function in particular geographic areas, and every clique is usually managed by a single chief, generally referred to as the “First Phrase.” Two cliques that have been energetic in and round Hudson County, New Jersey, have been the Pinos Locos Salvatrucha clique, of which Garcia-Gomez was a member/affiliate, and the Hudson Locos Salvatrucha clique.
Based mostly on courtroom paperwork, Garcia-Gomez’s plea settlement, and proof introduced on the trial of three co-defendants, in July 2015, Jose Urias-Hernandez, then 19 years outdated, was shot and killed execution-style by Garcia-Gomez with a single shot to the again of his head as he entered his dwelling. Garcia-Gomez participated within the homicide as a result of he was ordered by MS-13 management to commit the homicide to attain membership within the gang.
“As a result of devoted efforts of the Division of Justice and our legislation enforcement companions, Garcia-Gomez and his fellow gang members will not have the ability to victimize this group,” mentioned Assistant Lawyer Normal Kenneth A. Well mannered, Jr. of the Justice Division’s Prison Division. “The Prison Division and our legislation enforcement companions will proceed to pursue MS-13 gang members who take the lives of others and prey on the communities by way of violence and intimidation and won’t cease in our pursuit of justice for the victims of this violent gang.”
“Garcia-Gomez dedicated a brutal and violent crime to realize membership in a legal group identified for its brutality and violence,” mentioned U.S. Lawyer Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “He wasn’t even out of his teenagers when he complied with MS-13’s orders and snuffed out one other younger man’s life, ruining the lives of his sufferer’s household and pals and ending any probability at a good life for himself. This sentence will maintain this violent legal off our streets.”
“Garcia-Gomez and his fellow gang members plagued their group with violence,” mentioned Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Prison Investigative Division. “The FBI, in hand with our legislation enforcement companions, will proceed to pursue these offenders finishing up brutal violence in our communities. This motion exhibits the FBI’s dedication to dismantling these organized legal enterprises and maintaining the communities we serve protected.”
Along with Garcia-Gomez, 9 defendants have been charged on this investigation towards MS-13 in New Jersey, together with Jose Gimenez-Lobos, aka Infernal, aka Horrible, 31, of El Salvador, and Jose Rivera-Robles, aka Layo, 36, of El Salvador. One defendant, Christian Linares-Rodriguez, aka Donkey, 42, is a high-ranking MS-13 member who’s presently incarcerated in El Salvador and is awaiting extradition to america. Three different defendants have been convicted at trial in November 2021, together with Juan Pablo Escalante-Melgar, aka Humilde, Elmer Cruz-Diaz, aka Locote, and Oscar Sanchez-Aguilar, aka Snappy, and are awaiting sentencing. At sentencing, Esclante-Melgar, Cruz-Diaz, and Sanchez-Aguilar every face a compulsory minimal sentence of life in jail. A federal district courtroom choose will decide any sentence after contemplating the U.S. Sentencing Tips and different statutory components.
Trial Lawyer Matthew Ok. Hoff of the Prison Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Part and Assistant U.S. Lawyer Desiree Grace for the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case.
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS), answerable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these legal organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure by way of which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 workers consists of greater than 6,800 particular brokers assigned to 225 cities all through america, and 86 abroad areas in 55 international locations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative legislation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. legislation enforcement.
ICE’s ERO directorate upholds U.S. immigration legislation at, inside, and past our borders. ERO’s work is essential to the enforcement of immigration legislation towards those that current a hazard to our nationwide safety, are a menace to public security, or who in any other case undermine the integrity of our immigration system. ERO operations goal public security threats, resembling convicted legal noncitizens and gang members, in addition to people who’ve in any other case violated our nation’s immigration legal guidelines, together with those that illegally re-entered the nation after being eliminated and immigration fugitives ordered eliminated by federal immigration judges. ERO deportation officers assigned to Interpol additionally help in focusing on and apprehending overseas fugitives or Fugitive Arrest and Elimination (FAR) instances who’re needed for crimes dedicated overseas and who are actually at-large within the U.S. ERO manages all facets of the immigration enforcement course of, together with identification and arrest, home transportation, detention, bond administration, and supervised launch, together with alternate options to detention. As well as, ERO removes noncitizens ordered faraway from the U.S. to greater than 170 international locations world wide.