WASHINGTON — Performing Legal professional Basic Todd Blanche licensed federal prosecutors in Los Angeles to hunt the loss of life penalty towards three MS-13 gang members charged with slaying an FBI informant, based on an April 8 letter obtained by The Publish.
First Assistant US Legal professional Invoice Essayli mentioned Thursday that after receiving the missive, his workplace would pursue capital punishment towards Dennis Anaya Urias, Grevil Zelaya Santiago, and Roberto Carlos Aguilar after every was charged final yr with one depend of homicide in assist of racketeering.
The trio — who had been additionally charged with two counts apiece for conspiracy to retaliate towards a witness — have been in federal custody since their arrest in Might 2025 as a part of a racketeering and methamphetamine trafficking case.
“The loss of life penalty is reserved for a few of the most heinous crimes,” Essayli instructed The Publish. “The defendants on this case have met that standards.”
“Urias and Aguilar are Salvadoran nationals. Urias has a inexperienced card. Aguilar is an unlawful alien. Santiago is an unlawful alien from Honduras,” he mentioned, earlier than declaring that the “thugs and terrorists will discover no shelter below this administration. If you happen to take somebody’s life, then you’ll forfeit your individual.”
Urias, 27, and Santiago, 25, fatally shot the federal informant, recognized in court docket paperwork as “H.B.”, at a grocery retailer in south Los Angeles on Feb. 18 final yr, prosecutors alleged.
One hour earlier, the sufferer additionally encountered Aguilar, 30, inside the shop, prompting “a collection of occasions that led to Urias and Santiago capturing and killing the sufferer,” Essayli famous.
H.B. known as 911 after what gave the impression to be a “likelihood encounter” with Aguilar became a primary try on his life — however one of many gang member’s weapons didn’t fireplace.
The tried shooter was “wearing all black, with a handkerchief masking his face,” whereas his companion was a “Latino, had lengthy hair, and was sporting a black high and blue denims,” court docket filings present.
The FBI agent later recognized the long-haired Latino as Aguilar, and the failed capturing led to H.B. retreating contained in the Superior Grocers at Figueroa Avenue and 92nd Avenue.
Two different males inside minutes climbed out of a Honda CR-V that pulled up exterior the grocery retailer, and H.B. put in a name to his FBI handler.
Safety digicam footage confirmed two males — alleged to be Urias and Santiago — chasing H.B. into the shop.
The agent then “heard via the phone a number of gunshots and H.B. stopped responding,” based on an affidavit filed with the court docket.
MS-13 members had been conscious of H.B.’s standing as a cooperating witness for the feds. A pacesetter of the gang’s “Bagos” clique gave the “inexperienced gentle” to focus on him.
The FBI particular agent listened in on a telephone name three days after the homicide between one other cooperating witness and the Bagos clique “shotcaller,” recognized as A.R. within the affidavit, who instructed him he “needed to clear out my rubbish, you perceive, and effectively that work you can not say no to.”
Prosecutors famous in a legal grievance that MS-13 members have usually assaulted, robbed, murdered or “promoted a local weather of worry in the neighborhood via threats of hurt and violence” to “improve” their standing within the gang.
The case, introduced within the Central District of California, is scheduled to move to trial on July 21 and is a part of Operation Take Again America, which is cracking down on drug cartels and different transnational legal organizations.
