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MS-13 Member Sentenced to 50 Years for Triple Murder in Virginia
Alexandria, VA – In a shocking turn of events, Henry Leonel Barrera Ayala, a 26-year-old Salvadoran national and member of the notorious MS-13 gang, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for conspiracy related to the gang’s criminal enterprise, including three brutal murders.
According to court documents, Barrera Ayala, also known as Cusuco, Centinela, and Lil Player, was involved in the murders of K.A.C., J.L.G.M., and I.J.P.G. in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Reston, Virginia, between 2018 and 2020.
The murders were all carried out to further the interests of MS-13, which is known for its brutal tactics and widespread violence. Barrera Ayala and his co-conspirators used violence and intimidation to silence those who threatened the gang’s power.
On August 25, 2018, Barrera Ayala and several other MS-13 members met in New Bedford to murder K.A.C., an associate of MS-13’s Directos Locos Salvatrucha clique. After beating and strangling K.A.C. to death, the group dismembered his body and buried it in a wooded area near New Bedford.
On June 23, 2019, Barrera Ayala and his co-conspirators conspired to murder individuals who frequently gathered to drink in a wooded area in Reston. The group armed themselves with a 9mm firearm, a .45 caliber firearm, and two machetes and traveled to the Hunters Woods area of Reston. They murdered J.L.G.M., shooting him and slashing him with a machete.
On September 17, 2020, Barrera Ayala and his co-conspirators devised a plan to lure a young woman, I.J.P.G., to Colts Neck Road in Reston under false pretenses and kill her because they believed she was associated with a rival gang and had disparaged MS-13 on social media. Barrera Ayala exchanged messages with I.J.P.G. via Snapchat, pretending to be a member of MS-13’s rival gang. Barrera Ayala and a co-conspirator later picked up I.J.P.G. from her home and drove her to Colts Neck Road, where Alas Candray and another MS-13 member were waiting for them. The four co-conspirators killed I.J.P.G. by taking turns shooting her, primarily in the face.
In addition to the murders, Barrera Ayala also conspired with his fellow MS-13 members to distribute marijuana and cocaine. On multiple occasions, Barrera Ayala sent drug profits to individuals in other states and in Central American countries via money transfer services to benefit the MS-13 enterprise.
On September 18, 2024, Barrera Ayala pled guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. A federal jury convicted Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray on October 21, 2024, on charges relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including six murders and additional murder conspiracies. On January 30, Alas Candray was sentenced to six concurrent life sentences.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Blanchard, Megan Braun, and Natasha Smalky. The investigation was led by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, with assistance from the Fairfax County Police Department.
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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