GREENBELT, Md., April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A federal jury
 convicted Jose Hipolito Cruz Diaz, a.k.a "Pirana," 28, of Lanham, Md.; Omar
 Vasquez, a.k.a "Duke," 28; and Henry Zelaya, 20, today of conspiracy to
 participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murder, robbery,
 obstruction of justice, and witness tampering, U.S. Attorney Rod J.
 Rosenstein for the District of Maryland and Assistant Attorney General
 Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice
 announced today. Vasquez and Diaz were also convicted of conspiracy to
 commit murder in aid of racketeering.
     "Joining MS-13 is a ticket to federal prison. Forty-one alleged MS-13
 gang members have been charged with federal crimes in Maryland." Stated
 U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. "The young men who were convicted today
 probably will spend the rest of their lives in federal prison, and some of
 the remaining defendants may face death sentences."
     U.S. Attorney Rosenstein added, "The RICO statute is a powerful tool
 that allows us to prosecute gang members in federal court for the
 activities of the criminal organization they chose to join."
     "This conviction is a significant step in our efforts against one of
 the most violent and sophisticated gangs in the United States," said
 Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division. "We
 are committed to striking at organizations like MS-13 at every level --
 from the street thugs to the ringleaders. I commend the federal law
 enforcement officers and prosecutors who have been working side-by-side
 with local authorities to make a difference in the fight against violent
 crime."
     According to testimony presented at the seven-week trial, the
 defendants were MS-13 leaders who conspired from at least 2001 to April
 2006 to operate an MS-13 enterprise in Prince George's and Montgomery
 counties through a pattern of racketeering activity which included five
 murders in Maryland and one in Virginia; the use of deadly weapons
 including firearms, baseball bats, machetes, bottles or knives in the
 commission of numerous murders, attempted murders and assaults; assaults on
 an MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, juvenile females and rival gang
 members; kidnapping, robbery, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
     Trial testimony showed that Zelaya, leader of the MS-13 Teclas Locos
 Salvatruchos (TLS) clique, murdered Noel Gudiel, a rival gang member, on
 April 20, 2003 in Langley Park, Md. Zelaya and other MS-13 members sexually
 assaulted two juvenile females at a "skipping party" on May 12, 2003.
 Zelaya and MS-13 member Walter Noel Barahona assaulted a rival gang member
 on Oct. 21, 2003. While in prison, Zelaya wrote letters to the TLS clique
 and other MS-13 gang members in which he: advised how the gang should
 operate while he was incarcerated; incited the gang members to continue
 engaging in violent acts; discussed how the gang should handle the
 leadership of his clique while he was incarcerated, including instructing
 an MS-13 member to make contact with other MS-13 members in El Salvador;
 and advised Barahona that a victim of a prior act of violence had not yet
 identified Barahona as a perpetrator of the crime.
     Witnesses testified that Diaz was the leader of the Sailors Locos
 Salvatruchos Westside (SLSW) clique in Washington, D.C. Vasquez was sent
 from El Salvador to operate all the cliques in Maryland, Washington, D.C.
 and Northern Virginia. On Jan. 21, 2005 Vasquez, Diaz and other MS-13
 members drove to an apartment building in Fairfax, Virginia to look for
 rival gang members. Two MS-13 members shot at the crowd of youths sitting
 outside the building, murdering one juvenile male and injuring two other
 juveniles.
     Special Agent in Charge Gregory K. Gant of the Bureau of Alcohol,
 Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) stated, "The successful
 investigation and prosecution of the MS-13 gang members demonstrates how
 ATF and our law enforcement partners will not tire until we put the 'worst
 of the worst' violent offenders in jail for the rest of their lives. ATF
 will not tolerate the violence that the members of the MS-13 gang, or any
 criminal gang, instill in our communities. Today, with this verdict, we are
 sending a message that the strength of the criminal justice system is more
 powerful than the strength of the MS-13 gang."
     Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin R. Lewis, of the Baltimore
 Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation stated, "These convictions
 are a testament to the commitment of federal, state, and local law
 enforcement agencies to stem the tide of violent crime in our communities.
 This should send a message to gang members, crews and other criminal
 enterprises that their violent activities will be aggressively investigated
 and prosecuted."
     "ICE works closely with our law enforcement partners to identify,
 disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal street gangs that endanger our
 communities," said James A. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge for U.S.
 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Baltimore. "Ensuring public
 safety is among the most important homeland security missions of ICE and
 gang enforcement is a crucial part of that mission."
     "I appreciate the dedication of the police investigators and members of
 the U.S. Attorney's Office who worked tirelessly to investigate and
 prosecute this case," Colonel Thomas E. Hutchins, Secretary of the Maryland
 Department of State Police said. "The Maryland State Police will remain a
 committed partner in outstanding efforts like this that interrupt and
 dismantle the operations of criminal gangs."
     Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger stated, "These
 convictions serve as a perfect example of what inter-agency coordination
 and cooperation can accomplish. The law enforcement community is committed
 to coordinating efforts at the state and federal level to combat
 gang-related crime; and it is making a positive impact throughout the
 region. I am pleased see the success of this trial and commend the various
 agencies who participate in the ATF R.A.G.E. Task Force and the United
 States Attorney's Office for their hard work in this case."
     Colonel David Rohrer, Chief, Fairfax County Police Department, said "I
 appreciate and commend the cooperative efforts of my detectives, other
 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and the United States
 Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland for this investigation,
 prosecution, and conviction. The message is clear that we do not, and will
 not, tolerate violent crime."
     Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for
 conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. U.S. District Judge
 Deborah K. Chasanow scheduled sentencing for Zelaya on July 6, 2007 at 9:00
 a.m., for Vasquez on Aug. 6, 2007 at 2:00 p.m., and for Diaz on Aug. 10,
 2007 at 2:00 p.m.
     To date, this office has charged 41 gang members with various federal
 offenses, with 26 defendants charged in this RICO conspiracy case. Twelve
 MS- 13 gang members have been convicted in this RICO conspiracy case. Edgar
 Alberto Ayala, age 29, of Suitland, Maryland and Oscar Ramos Velasquez, age
 21, of Baltimore, were convicted at trial by a federal jury in November
 2006 of the racketeering conspiracy and face a maximum sentence of life at
 their sentencing on May 21, 2007. Seven defendants, all of Maryland, have
 pleaded guilty, including Barahona, age 23, of Hyattsville, who was
 sentenced on April 16, 2007 to 14 years in prison; Ronaldo Diaz Vasquez,
 age 26, of Wheaton, who was sentenced on April 2, 2007 to nine years in
 prison; Franklin Mejia Molina, age 23, of Silver Spring, who was sentenced
 on December 4, 2006 to over 9 years (114 months) in prison; and Juan Lopez,
 age 21, of Riverdale, who was sentenced on October 16, 2006 to 87 months in
 prison, all for racketeering conspiracy. Jose Pena Aguilar, age 25, of
 Beltsville, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on November 6, 2006 for
 using a firearm in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy, to be served
 consecutive to a 20 year sentence received in the Circuit Court, Prince
 George's County for attempted murder.
     U.S. Attorney Rosenstein expressed his appreciation for the
 investigative work performed by the ATF; the Prince George's County Police
 Department; the FBI; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); the
 Montgomery County Department of Police; the Howard County Police
 Department; the Maryland National Capital Park Police; the Maryland State
 Police and the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department. U.S. Attorney
 Rosenstein also recognized Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F.
 Ivey, Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy, and Fairfax County,
 Virginia, Commonwealth's Attorney Robert F. Horan, Jr., for the assistance
 that they and their offices provided.
     U.S. Attorney Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Trusty
 and Chan Park, and Trial Attorney David Jaffe, a prosecutor for the Justice
 Department's Gang Squad, who are prosecuting the case.
 
 

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice