BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Three MS-13 members were sentenced to life in prison Friday for federal conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murders, attempted murders, drug trafficking as well as murder in aid of racketeering charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland announced.
Wilson Arturo “Humilde” “Marco Saravia” Constanza-Galdomez, 26, of El Salvador, Edis Omar “Little Felon” Valenzuela-Rodriguez, 24, of Honduras, and Jonathan “Truney” Pesquera-Puerto, 24, all received the mandatory sentence.
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This case targeted the violent acts of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization made up of mostly immigrants or descendants of immigrants from Central America, with members operating in Maryland throughout the nation. MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” operating in specific cities or regions. The defendants were required to commit violent acts to increase their status and rank within the gang, according to officials.
One of the gang’s primary rules is that members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible. In Baltimore City and Baltimore County, MS-13 maintains a rivalry with the 18th Street Gang among others.
“These ruthless individuals displayed a total lack of humanity and regard for life, including murdering a 16-year-old girl, all to advance their standing within a transnational criminal organization. Now they’ll spend the rest of their lives behind bars where they belong,” Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said via a press release. “We, along with our law-enforcement partners, are committed to dismantling the MS-13 gang, and other lawless organizations, and holding criminals accountable who thrive on committing murders and terrorizing our communities.”
“These acts, often carried out with machetes, spread fear and terror throughout the community,” Matthew R. Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department, Criminal Division, said via a press release.
As today’s life sentences reflect, the Criminal Division will be relentless in its pursuit of MS-13 leaders, members and associates, to restore a sense of safety and security to neighborhoods throughout the United States.”
“The horrific acts of violence carried out by these MS-13 members are indefensible and demonstrates a complete disregard for human life,” Rebecca Day, acting assistant director for the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, said via a press release.
“No measure of justice will equal the weight of their crimes, but their life sentences mean these ruthless killers will never be free again,” Jimmy Paul, special agent in charge for the FBI Baltimore Field Office, said via a press release.
Constanza-Galdomez and Pesquera-Puerto were members or associates of the Carlington Locos Salvatrucha (CALS) clique, and Valenzuela-Rodriguez was a member of the Huntington Criminales Locos Salvatrucha (HCLS) clique, according to officials. From June of 2019 through at least October of 2021, the defendants participated in MS-13 racketeering activities, including two murders, four attempted murders and witness tampering.
On April 25, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other MS-13 members and associates conspired to assault a man whom they thought was a rival gang member. That same day, they assaulted the man in Baltimore, striking him with machetes several times and causing injuries to the victim’s face and arm. The people involved then reported the assault to MS-13 leadership in El Salvador to gain credit and increase their status.
On May 29, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, Pesquera-Puerto, and other MS-13 members and associates lured a 16-year-old girl, who they suspected was associated with rival gang members, to an area near Loch Raven Reservoir in Cockeysville. There, they hit the teen with a machete and stabbed her several times, murdering her. Following the murder, MS-13 members and associates reported it to MS-13 leadership to get credit and increase their status.
On June 5, 2020, Constanza-Galdomez, Valenzuela-Rodriguez, and other MS-13 members and associates lured another female, who they suspected was a rival gang member that cooperated with law enforcement, to an area near the CSX Bayview Train Yard in Baltimore. There, they stabbed the victim 143 times, killing her and leaving her body near the train tracks. Again, they reported the murder to MS-13 leadership.
The next day, Constanza-Galdomez, Pesquera-Puerto, and other MS-13 members and associates confronted a man, who had prior confrontations with the gang, and his girlfriend, the sister of one of the prior murder victims. Officials said Constanza-Galdomez and other members and associates ordered younger gang members to bring the female to the same train tracks where her sister was killed. There, the younger members stabbed her more than 70 times. All three defendants stabbed the male several times. Both victims survived.
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This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals all of the Department of Justice’s resources to “repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is urged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) both have nationwide tip lines that you can call, as well. You can call the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 or call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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