MS-13 gang leader sentenced to life in federal prison

A leader of MS-13 has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted last year of multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to commit murder, the Department of Justice announced Friday. MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is one of the largest gangs in the world and has been referred to by former Attorney General Bill Barr as "a death cult."

Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, 41, also known as Reaper, was accused along with his co-defendant Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno of controlling and operating Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside, one of the gang's "cliques," between 2015 and 2018. According to the Justice Department, the Maryland-based clique was involved in "a host of significant criminal activity including murder, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, and witness tampering."  

During the 2021 trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing that the group extorted local businesses in Maryland by charging them "rent" for operating in the gang's so-called "territory." Evidence also showed that the clique was responsible for committing violent acts against both rival gangs and its own members for "breaking gang rules" and for trafficking illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. The group would also share proceeds from the gang's illegal activities to MS-13 leadership in El Salvador in ways designed to "avoid law enforcement scrutiny," the Justice Department said Friday.