Thread: Several Suspected MS-13 Members Arrested In Langley Park

http://www.nbc4.com/news/8488670/detail.html

Several Suspected MS-13 Members Arrested In Langley Park
MS-13 Indictment Against 22 People Unsealed

POSTED: 3:37 pm EDT April 5, 2006
UPDATED: 4:46 pm EDT April 5, 2006

LANGLEY PARK, Md. -- A federal indictment was unsealed Wednesday adding murder, conspiracy, witness tampering and other charges to a racketeering case against alleged members of the MS-13 gang.

The superseding indictment against 22 people from the Washington suburbs came after federal and local investigators from an anti-gang task force made additional arrests and executed search warrants in Langley Park early Wednesday.

Federal officials first arrested 19 people in August, and accused them of racketeering, a charge usually reserved for organized crime, for being part of the increasingly violent street gang. The new indictment, filed under seal April 4, includes 31 new counts to various alleged MS-13 members in addition to racketeering.

The new charges tied to the racketeering include six murders in Maryland mentioned in the original indictment and the January 2005 killing of a man in Fairfax, Va. Several assaults, gun charges, kidnappings, and attempted murders were also added to the charges.

Among the three new defendants are two women. The 19 people in the original indictment were all men. Most of those accused are in their 20s, and the majority are from Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

All 22 charged with racketeering face a possible life sentence if convicted. Nine could be sentenced to death if convicted of committing murder or witness tampering while taking part in racketeering.

MS-13 originated in El Salvador and spread to the United States with immigrants. According to the FBI, there are about 8,000 to 10,000 MS-13 gang members in the United States. Many are in the D.C. suburbs. In August, similar raids were conducted in the same part of Langley Park.

No sweat for the gang bangers. Hillary will grant 'em presidential pardons shortly after she's sworn in. Hillary knows all about presidential pardons - ask Yolanda Huet-Vaughn.

Coto