ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The grim curtain fell on the last defendant of six MS-13 gang members today, as they were sentenced for a litany of crimes that included racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and the cold-blooded murders of four innocent men.
According to court documents and evidence, these defendants were part of the Sitios Locos Salvatrucha clique (STLS), which has operated in Northern Virginia and beyond since at least 2017. They traveled between Long Island, New York, and Washington, D.C., transporting cocaine and using profits to fuel their gang’s activities.
“These defendants sold drugs to keep MS-13 alive,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri. “They surveilled rivals, murdered innocent victims, all to increase their grip on the community.”
The sentencing followed a series of violent acts that began in spring 2019, when STLS members were ordered to commit murders for rank advancement and prestige. Cristian Arevalo Arias, Carlos Turcios Villatoro, and others lured Victim 1 and Victim 2 to their deaths in June 2019.
In August, Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado and his accomplices targeted a random victim, shooting him dead. Later that year, they murdered Victim 4 after hours of driving around Northern Virginia in search of a rival gang member.
U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber echoed the sentiment: “MS-13 is a cycle of death that cannot be tolerated. With today’s sentences, we are dismantling these organizations and ending their ability to harm.”
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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