MS-13 Clique Charged in 5 Columbus Murders

Columbus is reeling as federal prosecutors unsealed a second superseding indictment charging 23 alleged members and associates of the MS-13 Columbus clique in a sprawling racketeering conspiracy that includes five brutal murders. The indictment, announced today by federal and local law enforcement, paints a harrowing picture of a street gang turned paramilitary criminal enterprise, responsible not only for slayings but also attempted murder, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, assault, witness intimidation, and weapons offenses across central Ohio.

The indictment names Martin Neftali Aguilar-Rivera, 32, also known as Momia and Pelon, of Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis; Jose Bonilla-Mejia, 29, aka Espia, of California; Juan Jose Jiminez-Montufar, 34, aka Chele Trece, of Columbus; Pedro Alfonso Osorio-Flores, 38, aka Smokey; Isaias Alvarado, 45, aka Cabo; Cruz Alberto-Arbarngas, 30, aka Cruzito; Jose Manuel Romero-Parada, 23, aka Russo, of Indianapolis; Juan Jose Alvarenga-Alberto, 27, aka Sailen; Juan Pablo Flores-Castro, 29, aka Duende; and Jose Daniel Gonzalez-Campos, 29, aka Flaco, of Virginia. Several others, including fugitive Nelson Alexander Flores, 46, known as Mula, remain at large.

Three counts of murder in aid of racketeering and one count of murder through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence are included in the charges—offenses that carry the potential for the death penalty. Among those accused are individuals already known to law enforcement for prior violence, immigration violations, and obstruction of justice. Carolina Garcia-Miranda, 30, aka Mamayema, of Columbus, is also charged, marking a rare indictment of a woman within the male-dominated hierarchy of MS-13.

Benjamin C. Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, stood alongside FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Angela L. Byers, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Director Rebecca Adducci, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, and Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs to announce the charges. They described the gang’s operations as a tightly controlled network running drugs, extorting local businesses, and enforcing loyalty through terror—including retaliatory killings and threats against witnesses.

MS-13, formally La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational criminal organization rooted in El Salvador, designated by the U.S. government in 2012 as the only street gang with that status. With over 10,000 members across at least 40 states, the gang operates through localized ‘cliques’ like the one in Columbus. Despite mass deportations and federal crackdowns, MS-13 has adapted, embedding itself in immigrant communities and using encrypted communication to evade detection.

This indictment follows a multi-year investigation that has already led to the arrest of additional defendants on federal immigration charges. Authorities say the Columbus clique functioned under direct influence from imprisoned MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, carrying out orders to maintain control and eliminate rivals. The case continues as law enforcement seeks to dismantle the gang’s infrastructure—brick by violent brick.

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