A member of the MS-13 Gang has been given a 35-year prison sentence for killing a teenager in 2015 execution style. Juan Garcia-Gomez, aka "Scooby", committed a brutal and violent crime to become a member of MS-13, according to US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.
Known as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), the gang was set up in the 1970s and 1980s in Los Angeles to protect Salvadoran immigrants from other gangs.
The attorney believes that Gomez wasn't even out of his teens when he complied with MS-13's orders and snuffed out another young man's life, ruining the lives of his victim's family and friends and ending any chance at a decent life for himself, according to RLS Media.
MS-13 Was Formed By Salvadoran Immigrants
According to the Department of Justice, the gang was formed by Salvadoran immigrants to escape the civil war in their home country. Its members use military weapons and are trained in guerilla warfare. The organized gang is heavily involved in lucrative illegal enterprises, being notorious for its use of violence to achieve its objectives.
Fear and intimidation are used in extorting payments from any legitimate or illegitimate business owners for the right to conduct their business in MS-13 territory, according to the Department of Justice.
MS-13 Was Involved In Human Smuggling
It's also being claimed that the gang has also been involved in human smuggling. A special task force was created by the FBI to capture the notorious member of the gang. The MS-13 National Gang Task Force coordinated cooperation among local and State law enforcement agencies to dismantle MS-13.
The gang also takes part in transnational crimes as they are involved in the illegal trafficking of stolen vehicles from the United States to Central America. Weapon smuggling and illegal firearm sales are also a key part of the earnings of the gang.
