MS-13 Gang Members Found Guilty in Murders Linked to Angeles National Forest
Four members of the notorious MS-13 street gang were found guilty this week by a federal jury for their involvement in a series of brutal murders, one of which included dismemberment, that took place in the Angeles National Forest in 2017. The convicted individuals—Angel Amadeo Guzman, 31, Fernando Garcia Parada, 28, Edgard Velasquez, 43, and Jose Jonathan Castillo, 34—were charged with racketeering, conspiracy, and violent crimes in aid of racketeering through murder, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors linked these crimes to Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, a transnational gang with a significant influence in Los Angeles, where it operates through smaller factions or cliques. The specific incidents related to the convictions occurred between March and June of 2017, involving a series of violent actions emblematic of the gang’s ruthless reputation.
In one of the key incidents, Velasquez allegedly sanctioned the killing of a man who had painted graffiti for a rival gang. Guzman, Garcia, and others executed a kidnapping, subsequently strangling the victim before transporting him to a remote area in the Angeles National Forest. There, they inflicted fatal injuries with machetes before dismembering him, discarding his remains in a canyon.
A month later, Guzman and his accomplices targeted another victim, believed to have been cooperating with law enforcement and who had escaped from El Salvador. Utilizing a teenage girl’s Facebook account to lure him, they executed him in the forest under similar brutal circumstances.
The third victim, recognized by prosecutors as an associate of MS-13, was killed after allegedly exaggerating his standing within the gang. This murder also took place in June 2017, where he was reportedly stabbed and dismembered.
The four convicted gang members will remain in federal custody until their sentencing on October 20, 2023, facing mandatory life sentences for their crimes. The ongoing federal investigation into MS-13 has resulted in over 30 convictions to date. Additionally, five other MS-13 members were convicted in November 2022 for their involvement in six separate gang-related killings.
This case highlights the continuing challenges of gang violence and criminal enterprise associated with gangs like MS-13, which operate within urban areas, posing significant threats to community safety and law enforcement efforts. As federal authorities continue to crack down on gang activity, the ramifications of such violent operations remain a pressing concern for officials and communities alike.
Source: Media News Source.
