Las Vegas police announced that five suspects have been arrested in connection to 10 murders tied to the MS-13 gang.
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo announced on Monday that the five are in federal custody for the homicides that have taken place over the course of a year, reported Las Vegas Now.
Lombardo added that all of the victims either were shot or stabbed numerous times.
According to police, six of the 10 victims were kidnapped before being murdered on the outskirts of town.
The suspects were taken into custody on Jones Boulevard on March 7 as they were on their way to kill another person, according to homicide Captain Robert Plummer who was also at the news conference.
‘The suspects involved in these crimes are extremely violent,’ said Lombardo. ‘They kill their victims over as little as identifying with another gang or participating in street level narcotic sales.’
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo (pictured, far right) announced on Monday that five suspects are in federal custody in connection to 10 murders tied to the MS-13 gang that have taken place over the course of a year
All of the victims were either were shot or stabbed numerous times. According to police, six of the 10 victims were kidnapped before being murdered on the outskirts of town (Pictured, victims Izzak Towery, left, and Richard Gaudio, right)
The murders were committed between March 2017 and March 2018. At least two of the victims were involved with MS-13 (Pictured, victims Juan Carlos Estrada Raya, left, and Ricardo Olivas, right)
‘The suspects involved in these crimes are extremely violent,’ said Lombardo. ‘They kill their victims over as little as identifying with another gang or participating in street level narcotic sales’ (Pictured, Daniel Clark)
The victims were identified as Daniel Clark, Richard Gaudio, Carlos Pachaca-Rodriguez, Arquimidez Sandoval-Martinez, Juan Carlos Estrada Raya, Jose Hernandez, Ricardo Olivas, Izzak Towery, Earl Ryan and Rony Fuentes.
The murders were committed between March 2017 and March 2018.
At least two of the victims, Pachaca-Rodriguez and Sandoval-Martinez, were involved with MS-13. Several of the victims were affiliated with other Mexican gangs.
Lombardo did not release the names of the suspects but he did reveal that three are from El Salvador and one is from Honduras. Of the five, one is a juvenile aged 17.
‘Our investigation this far has recovered 18 firearms, which include an AR-15, semi-automatic pistols and shotguns,’ Capt Plummer said. ‘Eight of those guns were stolen in Metro’s jurisdiction; one in Henderson.’
The suspects, believed to be in the US illegally, have been charged with kidnapping, assault with intent to commit murder, first-degree murder, use of a firearm resulting in death and crimes occurring on federal land.
Police did not release the names of the suspects but he did reveal that three are from El Salvador and one is from Honduras. Of the five, one is a juvenile aged 17 (Pictured, map naming the location where each victim was killed)
According to Captain Robert Plummer (pictured), 18 firearms have been recovered, ‘which include an AR-15, semi-automatic pistols and shotguns’
The El Salvadorian criminal enterprise MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is the first and only criminal organization in the US to be named as ‘transnational’ by the FBI (Pictured here, four unidentified members of MS-13 show their tattoos at the National Penitentiary in Tamara, Honduras in February 2006)
The El Salvadorian criminal enterprise MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is believed to have a presence in 46 states, according to an independent study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania.
MS-13 is the first and only criminal organization in the US to be named as ‘transnational’ by the FBI and operates on the motto of ‘Kill, Rape, Control’, former Massachusetts US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said.
The group was started nearly 20 years ago in Los Angeles after millions of immigrants from El Salvador came to the US after a violent civil war left more than 100,000 dead.
According to Lieutenant John Leon, the gang has about 50 members in Clark County, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.