MS-13 Gang Members Found Guilty in Brutal Murders in Angeles National Forest

Four members of the notorious MS-13 gang were convicted this week by a federal jury for their involvement in a series of brutal murders that occurred in the Angeles National Forest in 2017. The verdicts mark a significant step in the continued efforts of law enforcement to dismantle the operations of this transnational gang, which has maintained a strong presence in Los Angeles through various local cliques.

The jury found Angel Amadeo Guzman, 31, and Fernando Garcia Parada, 28, both residents of Panorama City; Edgard Velasquez, 43, from Reseda; and Jose Jonathan Castillo, 34, of Los Angeles guilty of multiple charges, including racketeering, conspiracy, and violent crimes in support of racketeering through murder. The U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed these developments, underscoring the gang’s violent tactics and the severe nature of their crimes.

Trial proceedings revealed disturbing details about the murders, which were tied to the activities of MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha. The gang’s influence extends throughout Los Angeles and particularly within communities such as the San Fernando Valley and MacArthur Park. Evidence presented during the trial linked the accused to three separate killings between March and June 2017.

In one of the most harrowing incidents, prosecutors detailed how Velasquez orchestrated the murder of an individual accused of vandalizing property with graffiti associated with a rival gang. After kidnapping and strangling the victim, Guzman, Garcia, and their associates transported the body to the Angeles National Forest, where they committed the gruesome act of dismemberment, disposing of his remains in a canyon.

In a separate murder a month later, Guzman and his compatriots targeted another individual, suspected of being a cooperating witness for law enforcement, who had fled from El Salvador. They lured the individual into the forest using a teenage girl’s Facebook account before executing him.

The third victim, identified by prosecutors as a fellow gang member, was killed in June 2017 after allegedly embellishing his status within the organization. This victim was brutally stabbed and “hacked to death.”

The convicted defendants are currently held in federal custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for October 20. Each defendant faces a mandatory life sentence as a consequence of their actions. The broader investigation into MS-13’s operations has led to over 30 convictions in recent years, highlighting the ongoing commitment of federal authorities to combat gang-related violence in the region.