MS-13 gang members who carved out a man’s heart learn fate for grisly killings
Four members of the notorious street gang MS-13 have been found guilty in federal court for their involvement in a series of brutal murders that took place during a 2017 crime spree in Southern California. The crimes included one particularly gruesome killing where the victim’s heart was carved out of his chest, his body dismembered, and discarded in a canyon.
The convicted individuals, Angel Amadeo Guzman, Fernando Garcia Parada, Edgard Velasquez, and Jose Jonathan Castillo, were all charged with racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including murder. These crimes were carried out in accordance with MS-13’s internal rules that demand extreme violence and murder as a means for members to advance within the gang.
The gang, known for its violent tactics and criminal activities, operates through local cliques such as the Fulton clique in the San Fernando Valley and the Francis clique in MacArthur Park. They fund their operations through drug trafficking, extortion, robbery, and other criminal enterprises.
During a period from March to June 2017, the defendants were involved in three separate killings in and around Angeles National Forest. The first murder was motivated by an accusation of defacing rival gang graffiti, which led to the victim being strangled, attacked with machetes, and ultimately dismembered. In another incident, a man who had fled El Salvador without permission was lured to the forest under false pretenses and killed by gang members using a fake Facebook account. The final murder involved the killing of an MS-13 associate accused of exaggerating his status within the gang, who was brutally stabbed and hacked to death.
The sentencing for the four defendants is scheduled for October 20, where they each face a mandatory life sentence in federal prison. This case has resulted in more than 30 convictions overall, highlighting the extensive reach and impact of MS-13’s criminal activities. In addition to these convictions, five more MS-13 members were found guilty in November for related murders linked to internal struggles for power within the gang.
The relentless pursuit of justice against MS-13 and its members demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement to dismantle criminal organizations that pose a serious threat to communities. The sentencing of these individuals sends a strong message that violent crimes will not be tolerated, and those responsible will face severe consequences for their actions.
