Three high-level MS-13 gang members plead guilty to 50-year sentences in large-scale racketeering conspiracy involving murder and other violent crimes

GALVESTON, Texas - Eight El Salvadorian citizens who illegally resided in Houston and are members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders and acts of witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia aka Mejia, 28, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia aka Discreto, 29, Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa aka Darki, 40, and Marlon Miranda-Moran aka Chinki, 26, have now entered their pleas. Four others - Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, aka Destino, 33, Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez aka Largo, 35, Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora aka Garcia, 27, and Wilman Rivas-Guido aka Inquieto, 29 - also pleaded guilty to the same racketeering conspiracy Aug. 11.

"This case demonstrates the tremendous public safety threat that MS-13 and other criminal terrorist organizations pose to American communities," said Ganjei. "Here, defendants carried out a series of murders - bludgeoning, butchering, and strangling their victims with sadistic glee. These are people without remorse or pity. When it comes to eradicating these gangs, the United States cannot afford to either relent or fail. As the facts of this case show, the stakes are too high."

"These defendants carried out brutal murders in the name of MS-13, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats and their bare hands, and then sending photos of the victims' bodies to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "The defendants committed these unthinkable acts to maintain their status in a gang that spread fear in local neighborhoods and targeted those brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement. Today's guilty pleas send a powerful message that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue and hold accountable MS-13 members who use violence and murder to terrorize our communities."

According to court documents and statements made in court, MS-13 is a violent international street gang involved in a variety of violent criminal activities across the United States, including Texas, Virginia, Maryland, New York and California. MS-13 also has a large international presence in El Salvador and Honduras. To protect MS-13's power, reputation and territory, members and associates must use intimidation and violence, including murder and assault with deadly weapons, such as machetes.

As part of their plea agreements, all eight admitted to being members of MS-13 and participating in a criminal enterprise responsible for multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area from 2017 through 2018. High-ranking MS-13 leaders based in El Salvador ordered and approved of the murders, sometimes listening by phone as MS-13 members carried out the crimes.

MS-13 members participated in the murders to increase or maintain their own position within MS-13's ranks. MS-13 targeted the murder victims because they were believed to be members of rival gangs, cooperating with law enforcement or working against MS-13's interests. MS-13 members committed the murders using machetes, a baseball bat and strangling. After the murders, MS-13 members sent photos of the victims' bodies to high-ranking MS-13 members in El Salvador, sometimes further mutilating or dismembering the victim's bodies before sending the photos.

According to their plea agreements, Chicas-Garcia, Ventura-Mejia and Aguilar-Ochoa will each be sentenced to 50 years in federal prison while Miranda-Moran will receive a 35-year-term of imprisonment. Martinez-Rodriguez, Garcia-Gongora and Rivas-Guido have agreed to a term from 45-50 years, while Carbajal-Peraza is expected to receive 40-45 years of imprisonment.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown accepted the pleas and has set sentencing for November. At that time, he will consider the sentencing stipulations and impose any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

FBI; Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations; police departments in Houston and Galveston as well as Prince George's County in Maryland; sheriff's offices in Harris and Liberty counties; Texas Department of Public Safety; University of North Texas Center for Human Identification; U.S. Marshals Service; and Texas Office of the Attorney General led or contributed to the lengthy and complex investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Keri Fuller and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Britni Verdeja are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud from the Criminal Division's Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.