MS-13 Gang Member Jose Salvador Gonzalez-Campos Sentenced for Gun Crimes

Jose Salvador Gonzalez-Campos, a 27-year-old illegal alien and documented MS-13 gang member, was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in federal prison for illegal firearm possession, following an 18-month investigation that exposed his ties to one of the nation’s most violent transnational criminal organizations. U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker handed down the sentence, underscoring the federal crackdown on armed gang activity in central Indiana.

Gonzalez-Campos, who lived at 2810 West Ray Street on Indianapolis’s Westside, was arrested August 15, 2017, during an FBI SWAT raid conducted alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Columbus, Indiana Police Department, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Agents found him in the company of other known MS-13 associates and seized a light blue backpack linked to him through surveillance and social media photos. Inside, they discovered a stainless steel Taurus .357 caliber revolver, five rounds of ammunition, and an El Salvadorian passport bearing his name.

Inside the same room, investigators recovered a second passport with Gonzalez-Campos’ name and photos of him posing with family members. As a deported alien with no legal status in the United States, Gonzalez-Campos is strictly prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. His affiliation with MS-13—a gang notorious for brutality, extortion, and drug trafficking—elevated the case’s priority within the Department of Justice.

“Protecting our communities from ruthless transnational criminal organizations like MS-13 who exploit our immigration laws and terrorize our communities is a top priority of this office and the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler, who oversaw the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Glickman, Deputy Chief of Gun and Violent Crimes, noted that Gonzalez-Campos will likely be removed to El Salvador upon release and will serve a mandatory three years of supervised release.

Robert Middleton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Division, emphasized the broader impact: “Violent criminal street gangs like MS-13 threaten our communities. Today’s sentence will not only make our neighborhoods safer, but send a message to other gang members that the FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue efforts to disrupt and dismantle organized crime groups such as these.”

The case reflects the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana’s Strategic Plan—specifically Sections 1.8, 2.2, and 2.9—focusing prosecutions on illegal gun possession, violent criminals, and illegal immigration enforcement. This coordinated takedown signals an ongoing federal effort to dismantle gang networks operating across state lines and exploiting weaknesses in border and urban security.

RELATED: MS-13 Hitman Gets Life for Snitch Execution

RELATED: Anchorage Man Indicted in Child Enticement Case