MS-13 Kingpins Get Life: Reyes-Villatoro Sentenced in NJ Gang Murders

Newark, N.J. – A chilling chapter in the violent saga of MS-13 came to a close this week as five members of the notorious gang were sentenced to life plus 10 years for their roles in a string of murders and racketeering activities, according to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman and Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell.

At the heart of the case was Santos Reyes-Villatoro, also known as ‘Mousey,’ who founded the ‘Plainfield Locos Salvatruchas’ clique in New Jersey. Reyes-Villatoro, along with Julian Moz-Aguilar, ‘Humilde,’ Hugo Palencia, ‘Taliban,’ and Mario Oliva, ‘Zorro,’ were found guilty following a 16-week trial before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler.

Reyes-Villatoro, the alleged leader of the clique, was among those sentenced to life in prison for his role in five murders committed between 2007 and 2013. Moz-Aguilar received the same sentence after being convicted of murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm in a violent federal crime.

Oliva, also convicted of racketeering conspiracy and murder resulting from a federal firearm crime, was sentenced to life plus 10 years, while Esau Ramirez, ‘Panda,’ received an additional 169 months for his role in the gang’s activities. Ramirez was also found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.

MS-13, a transnational gang with branches across the United States, has been responsible for numerous acts of violence, including the murders documented in this case. The gang operates through cliques, such as PLS, which targeted rival gangs and law enforcement informants alike.

The brutal campaign of terror included killings such as Moz-Aguilar’s murder of a Latin Kings member at the Plainfield train station and Palencia’s shooting of a bystander in Plainfield. The gang’s cruelty was also evident in the murder of a suspected informant by Oliva, who fled to Maryland with the help of another MS-13 member.

The sentencing of Reyes-Villatoro and his associates serves as a stark reminder of the dangerous reach of organized crime and the consequences faced by those who participate in its heinous activities.