A group of eight MS-13 gang members who were in the U.S. illegally have been sentenced for carrying out murders for the transnational gang.
All eight gangsters are El Salvadoran nationals who were in the U.S. illegally and pleaded guilty to taking part in MS-13’s criminal enterprise in Houston in 2017-18, the U.S. Department of Justice said this week.
“These defendants, acting on behalf of a transnational criminal gang, carried out brutal murders, killing victims with machetes, baseball bats, and their bare hands, and then glorifying their violent acts by sending photos of their carnage to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador,” DOJ Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said.
CASE UPDATE from @FBIHouston: MS-13 Members Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Brutal Murders Committed at Direction of Gang Leaders in El Salvador
Eight illegal aliens and members of the violent transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, have… pic.twitter.com/kzPlLGhOib
— FBI (@FBI) April 22, 2026
Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez, 35, got a 50-year prison sentence, while Wilman Rivas-Guido, 30, got 45 years. Three others got 50-year sentences, one man got a 35-year sentence, and two others will spend 45 years in prison for their role in the criminal enterprise.
“This case centers on when MS-13 violence was at its peak in Houston,” FBI Houston Field Office Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson said. “These gang members are among the most ruthless and violent criminals we’ve seen. They made our communities their killing fields. Today’s hefty sentences should send a message to other violent terrorist organizations that the rule of law and justice will eventually catch up to you.”
According to Erin Burke, special agent in charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations in Houston, all eight entered the U.S. illegally, with Aguilar Ochoa doing so four times.
Two Salvadoran nationals and MS-13 gang members will spend decades in federal prison for their brutal crimes. Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez aka Largo, 35, got 50 years and Wilman Rivas-Guido aka Inquieto, 30, received 45 years. Six others were previously sentenced. All of them were… pic.twitter.com/veSvb2fPNj
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) April 22, 2026
“Members carried out the murders to increase or maintain rank within the gang and targeted individuals believed to be rival gang members, law enforcement cooperators or people working against MS-13’s interests.” the DOJ said, noting they would send photos of their victims back to gang leaders in El Salvador.
The Trump administration declared MS-13, along with other transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua, a foreign terrorist organization in early 2025.
This week in El Salvador, almost 500 alleged MS-13 gang members were put on trial for committing 47,000 crimes, including 29,000 murders, CBS News reported.
