MS-13 Leaders, Narcotics Trafficking, Nevada 2020

Thirteen leaders, members, and associates of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, also known as “MS-13,” have been charged with violation of the federal “Kingpin” statute and multiple drugs and firearms offenses in a 21-count indictment unsealed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.

The indictment, which was returned under seal on July 8, 2020 by a federal grand jury sitting in Las Vegas, charges the defendants with transporting bulk quantities of methamphetamine from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to the narcotics trafficking charges, the defendants are also accused of violating the federal “Kingpin” statute, which targets high-level leaders of organized crime groups.

Eleven of the 13 defendants were taken into custody yesterday morning: four defendants were arrested in the Los Angeles area, and seven defendants were arrested in Las Vegas. Those arrests were part of a national takedown coordinated between law enforcement agencies in the District of Nevada, Central District of California, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.

Two other defendants, Juan Angel Reyes (also known as “Angel” and “Mysterio”) and Eder Cruz-Salguero (also known as “Edgar Manolo Ramirez-Salguero” and “Venado”), are considered fugitives and a warrant remains outstanding for their arrests. Anyone with information as to their whereabouts is asked to contact your local law enforcement office or the Department of Homeland Security by calling 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

Attorney General William P. Barr led a Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) briefing to President Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office, which included several U.S. Attorneys and heads of law enforcement agencies. Following that briefing, the charges in Nevada were announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Francisco Burrola of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

“In 2017, the President directed the Department of Justice to go to war against MS-13, and we did just that,” said Attorney General Barr. “In coordination with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department’s law enforcement components have successfully investigated, charged, and arrested command and control elements of MS-13 responsible for murder. Joint Task Force Vulcan’s operations have significantly degraded MS-13’s capabilities. While there is still work to be done, the Department of Justice remains committed to protecting Americans threatened by MS-13, and we will not rest until we have successfully defeated this transnational criminal organization.”

The defendants charged in the indictment include Juan Angel Reyes, Eder Cruz-Salguero, and 11 others whose names have not been disclosed due to the ongoing investigation. The charges against them include violation of the federal “Kingpin” statute, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. The indictment alleges that the defendants were responsible for transporting bulk quantities of methamphetamine from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The investigation was led by the Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), a national task force formed to target MS-13 and other transnational criminal organizations.

Defendant Juan Angel Reyes (also known as “Angel” and “Mysterio”) is a fugitive with a warrant outstanding for his arrest. Defendant Eder Cruz-Salguero (also known as “Edgar Manolo Ramirez-Salguero” and “Venado”) is also a fugitive with a warrant outstanding for his arrest.

11 defendants were taken into custody yesterday morning: four defendants were arrested in the Los Angeles area, and seven defendants were arrested in Las Vegas.

According to the indictment, the defendants transported bulk quantities of methamphetamine from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The indictment alleges that the defendants were responsible for violating the federal “Kingpin” statute, which targets high-level leaders of organized crime groups.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/thirteen-defendants-including-national-leadership-ms-13-charged-multiple-firearms-and