OAN Staff James Meyers
2pm – Friday, April 4th, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondy has declared federal murder charges against three individuals linked to the MS-13 gang in connection with the violent murder of a man in Florida.
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The trio is accused of stabbing and shooting 22-year-old Gerson Vilelio Vasquez-Portillo in West Palm Beach County back in 2015. He was identified as an affiliate of opposing gang members.
Officials stated that the arrests followed investigations conducted in and around Broward County, South Florida during 2014 and 2015. One of the victims suffered 100 stab wounds before he was fatally shot.
“These gangs are organized. They are terrorists. And seeing these criminals, I believed they had gone into hiding for almost a decade, but they hadn't,” Bondy noted. “They reside among us because they can and cannot evade capture.”
The Attorney General reported that Jose Ezekiel Games Maravila and Wilbur Rosend's Navarro Escobar were taken into custody in Florida, with the third individual, Hugo Adiel Bermudes Martinez, apprehended in Minnesota.
“We'll evaluate their cases and determine if we will pursue the death penalty,” Bondy stated. “More arrests are on the horizon. If you are affiliated with a gang living in this nation, I proclaim now that we are tracking you.”
The apprehension was part of a larger operation dubbed “Operation Sombra de la Bestia” or “Operation of the Beast Shadow.”
Furthermore, five other MS-13 gang members were implicated in the murder of Vasquez Portillo.
During a press briefing, Bondi revealed that one MS-13 gang member has been charged with nine counts relating to cold cases in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Other victims included Joel Antonio Canisares Lala, lured to a vacant lot in the Oakland Park area in November 2014, who was fatally stabbed for falsely claiming gang affiliation, according to authorities. Bondi mentioned he was stabbed around 100 times.
His remains were interred in a makeshift grave and were uncovered in 2021 after excavation.
An additional victim, 18-year-old Omar Dejes Gutierrez, was shot following an alleged rival gang sign incident. However, court records indicated he was not affiliated with the gang in question.
Records indicated that 25-year-old Chrislet Ondina was stabbed to death in October 2015 as part of a gang initiation involving one of the suspects.
Officials confirmed on Friday that killing someone is typically a part of a gang’s initiation rites.
Tirado-Silva and Cruz-Ortiz were implicated in the murders of three individuals, while Tovar’s involvement was also noted, according to authorities.
“It does not matter when a crime is committed. It does not matter which region of the world you originate from. If you come into this community and decide to take a life, we will mobilize all our resources to ensure your prosecution.”
The MS-13 gang originated in Los Angeles during the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing civil war. Since its inception, the gang has spread across the nation and is notorious for its violent crimes, including murder, terror, assault, and drug trafficking.
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