3 MS-13 members convicted for 9 murders in Nevada and California

Three MS-13 gang members have been convicted by a federal jury in Nevada for a year-long killing spree that left nine people dead in Nevada and California, according to prosecutors. The victims were kidnapped, taken to remote areas and, in some cases, tortured before they were killed.

Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, 30, also known as “Molesto,” of El Salvador; David Arturo Perez-Manchame, 27, also known as “Herbi,” of Honduras; and Joel Vargas-Escobar, 30, also known as “Momia,” of El Salvador, were convicted in federal court in Las Vegas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada said on Monday.

Prosecutors said the three men were members of MS-13’s Parkview clique, which operated in Las Vegas. Vargas-Escobar was the clique’s leader until his arrest on New Year’s Eve 2017, after which Reyes-Castillo became the ranking member. Perez-Manchame was also a member of the clique.

The jury convicted the men of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murders and attempted murder, as well as murder, kidnapping and attempted murder in aid of racketeering and related gun offenses.

According to prosecutors, evidence at trial showed the men and other MS-13 members carried out nine murders over about a year. Many of the victims were kidnapped and taken to remote mountain or desert areas, where they were tortured and killed.

The killings began in December 2017, when Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members kidnapped a rival gang member from downtown Mendota, California, drove him to a rural area and killed him with a machete and knives. Prosecutors said the victim was left unrecognizable.

On Dec. 31, 2017, Reyes-Castillo, Vargas-Escobar and another MS-13 member shot and killed another man outside a house in Las Vegas after believing he was dealing marijuana in their territory.

The murders continued in early 2018, when several victims were kidnapped from Las Vegas, driven into the desert or mountains and killed because MS-13 members believed they were connected to the rival 18th Street gang.

One victim was stabbed more than 200 times, while another was stabbed more than 120 times, according to prosecutors.

Two other victims were killed in a drive-by shooting on Feb. 6, 2018, after MS-13 members went looking for rival gang members. A third person was shot and survived.

Federal prosecutors said prospective MS-13 members are often expected to take part in killings of rival gang members to gain entry into the gang or improve their status.

MS-13, also known as La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational criminal organization made up largely of people of Salvadoran or other Central American descent.

“These MS-13 members will be held accountable for the horrific violence they unleashed on U.S. communities during their year-long killing spree,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said.

Each man faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison without parole. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 10.