Detroit’s streets are a little less deadly tonight. Five members of the Latin Counts street gang — Devin Dantzler, 21, of Ecorse; Victor Vasquez, 26, of Detroit; Jonathan Estrada, 27, of Lincoln Park; Jesus Rodriguez, 25, of Lincoln Park; and Angel Rodriguez, 21, of Lincoln Park — have pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges tied to multiple acts of violence, including two brutal murders. The pleas, unsealed today, mark a major blow to a gang that terrorized southwest Detroit and downriver communities for years.
The racketeering indictment lays bare the gang’s reign of terror: assaults, robberies, drug trafficking, stolen firearms, and home invasions — all enforced with ruthless violence. The Latin Counts didn’t just control turf; they ruled through fear, targeting rivals and civilians alike. According to federal prosecutors, the gang operated across Ecorse, Lincoln Park, and southwest Detroit, using intimidation and bloodshed to maintain dominance.
At the core of the case are two killings that expose the gang’s savage code. Dantzler and Vasquez admitted their roles in the April 18, 2014, murder of Mustafa Al-Yasiry outside the Big Apple Market. The indictment states that multiple gang members assaulted Al-Yasiry before Dantzler fired the fatal shot. Three others already pleaded guilty in that killing. In a separate bloodletting on August 18, 2013, Estrada and the Rodriguez brothers admitted to participating in the murder of Terrence McClearen and the shooting of another man — acts carried out to enforce gang loyalty and silence threats.
The takedown was years in the making. Under the Detroit One Initiative, federal, state, and local agencies — including the FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Police, Lincoln Park Police, Michigan State Police, and the Department of Corrections — merged separate investigations into one sweeping probe. What began as isolated incidents were linked through intelligence, surveillance, and relentless coordination — ultimately dismantling the organization from the inside out.
U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade didn’t mince words: “We want to take back our streets from violent gangs so that Detroit residents can enjoy the safe quality of life that we all deserve.” Detroit Police Chief James Craig echoed the sentiment, calling the guilty pleas proof that collaboration works. “The success of the Detroit One initiative is evident in the continued disruption, arrest and prosecution of these violent gang members in our communities,” Craig said.
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Francis and FBI Detroit’s David P. Gelios emphasized the national significance of the case. “These guilty pleas demonstrate law enforcement’s resolve to stopping the escalating violence linked to gang activity,” Francis said. Gelios praised the joint task force model, calling it a force multiplier against organized crime. Each defendant now faces up to 30 years in federal prison. Sentencing hearings are pending, but one message is clear: Detroit’s gang war just lost five soldiers — and the city gained a measure of justice.
RELATED: D.C. Dealer’s Flight: Drugs, Gun, & 15 Years Loom
Related Federal Cases
- 9 Gang Members Indicted in 6 Mile Chedda Grove Racketeering Case · Michigan
- Devils Diciples Motorcycle Gang Leaders Indicted · Alabama
- Egan Gang’s Bloody Trail Leads to Indictment of 13 in Mail Heists · Illinois
- Detroit Man, Boone Woman Plead Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy · Michigan
- Wymer Crew Busted in Multi-State Truck Chop Shop Ring · Michigan
Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Organized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized CrimeOrganized Crime