2 MS-13 Gang Members From Prince George's County Convicted Of Murder

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Two Prince George's County men, along with a Virginia man, have been convicted by a federal jury on charges related to a racketeering enterprise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, or “MS-13.”

They are Luis Flores-Reyes, 41, of Arlington, Virginia; Jairo Jacome, 40, of Langley Park, Maryland; and Brayan Contreras-Avalos, 27, of Langley Park, Maryland.

Jacome and Flores-Reyes also were found guilty of murder in aid of racketeering. Jacome was convicted of an extortion conspiracy and Flores-Reyes was also convicted of extortion conspiracy. The jury also found Contreras-Avalos and Flores-Reyes guilty of a drug distribution conspiracy.

Flores-Reyes and Jacome face a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Contreras-Avalos faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

Jacome was the highest-ranking member of the local Langley Park Salvatrucha, or “LPS” clique. Flores-Reyes and Contreras-Avalos were leaders within the Sailors Clique, which held territory in Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Texas and El Salvador.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants ran an extortion scheme in and around Langley Park, extorting local businesses by charging them “rent” for the privilege of operating in MS-13 “territory.”

Flores-Reyes and Contreras-Avalos also trafficked illegal drugs, including marijuana and cocaine. A large share of the proceeds of the gang’s illegal activities were sent to gang leadership in El Salvador to further promote the illicit activities of the gang, using structured transactions and intermediaries to avoid law enforcement scrutiny, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

As detailed during their trial, Flores-Reyes, Jacome and Contreras-Avalos participated in at least six murders, including four minor victims, during the period of the conspiracy. Most of the victims were purported gang rivals except for one minor victim. For example, in June 2016, members of MS-13, including Contreras-Avalos, stabbed to death two individuals living on the streets of Hyattsville, Maryland, who gang members believed to be members of the 18th Street gang. The investigation revealed no evidence that the victims were in fact members of any gang, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

In December 2016, Jacome directed and participated in the murder of a 14-year-old member of MS-13 who was suspected of talking to the police. The boy’s remains were discovered more than 18 months later in the woods outside of Germantown.

In March 2017, a member of the Sailors Clique, who was hiding from law enforcement in the Lynchburg, Virginia, area, after committing a murder in 2016 in Gaithersburg, had a dispute with a local high school student over marijuana. In response, Flores-Reyes told a group of MS-13 members to drive down to Lynchburg and murder this student. The gang members kidnapped the boy from his front lawn and cut his hand off before killing him. After the murder, Flores-Reyes helped to hide and protect his fellow MS-13 members from law enforcement, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

“These defendants wreaked havoc within our communities through murder, extortion, and drug trafficking, now they will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron. “We will relentlessly prosecute MS-13gang members who terrorize our Maryland communities with intimidation and violence.”

“MS-13 terrorizes communities throughout the United States and abroad, using fear, violence, and intimidation,” added Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “MS-13 exploits vulnerable young people and immigrant communities that may not have easy access to law enforcement. This prosecution demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to dismantling this criminal organization and protecting all people.”