A federal grand jury indicted 22 alleged members of the infamous MS-13 gang Monday on charges related to a series of gruesome killings and extortion.
The 78-page indictment accuses the 22 MS-13 associates, all members of the San Fernando Valley-based Fulton clique, of gang-related crimes including narcotics sales, robberies, and extortion schemes. According to the Los Angeles Times, the indictment also details six horrific killings so “heinous, cruel, [and] depraved” the sixteen members involved are eligible for the death penalty.
This case comes after a two-year, collaborative investigation by the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“The investigation has been an unqualified success,” U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said in a press conference. “The collaborative law enforcement effort solved several murder cases and dealt a severe blow to members of the gang who engaged in acts of brutality not seen in the region for over 20 years.”
According to Hanna, the Fulton faction, one of at least 20 MS-13 cliques, is “believed to have killed 24 people over the past two years” in Los Angeles. The group modeled itself after “503,” an El Salvadorian subset of MS-13 known to be especially violent and radical. In order to be initiated, 503 members are required to kill an MS-13 adversary, the indictment says.
An individual identified in the indictment as “J.S” was choked to death and dismembered in March 2017 for defacing MS-13 graffiti. His heart was “carved out” by a gang member and his body parts were thrown into the Angeles National Forest.
A total of four individuals were hacked to death with machetes, baseball bats, and knives in the Angeles National Forest. One was killed in Malibu and another in North Hollywood. The killings were likely an attempt by prospective members to earn their place within the gang’s ranks.
MS-13 was created by El Salvadoran refugees in the 1980s. According to the Congressional Research Service, the loose structure of cells has spread throughout North and South America, and it has an estimated membership of 10,000. The Los Angeles clique, unlike other factions, has pledged loyalty to the Mexican Mafia and pays pricey rent payments to the organization.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Police Department arrested several members last month on violent charges, including the death of a homeless man, and say they have seen an uptick in MS-13 graffiti. The department “believe[s] the gang is attempting to establish a foothold by directly challenging rival gangs in the area.”
Prosecutors have not said if they plan to seek capital punishment in any of the cases.
