LAS VEGAS (AP) — A jury convicted three men who prosecutors say were members of the violent MS-13 gang in a federal racketeering case involving nine killings in Las Vegas and Los Angeles between 2017 and 2018.Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, David Arturo Perez-Manchame and Joel Vargas-Escobar were found guilty of multiple charges, including murder and racketeering, after a 43-day jury trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. They face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison without parole. A fourth person, Alexander De Jesus Figueroa-Torres, had also been charged but agreed to a plea deal before the trial. The jury did not return guilty verdicts on two other killings.The verdict marks a major victory for the Trump administration and its efforts to crack down on a gang known for its brutal violence and extortion, though the massive case was years in the making, with the original 55-page indictment coming in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.
Last year an MS-13 leader was sentenced to 68 years in prison in a case involving eight killings in Long Island, New York. In El Salvador, nearly 500 accused members of MS-13 face a collective trial, despite concerns of due process.
