A Salvadoran national identified by federal authorities as a member of the MS-13 gang has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in two murders in Queens, New York, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Officials said Ramiro Antonio Gutierrez Garcia, also known as “Cara de Malo,” was sentenced in connection with two separate killings that occurred in 2018 and 2019.
According to federal authorities and local reporting cited by the Department of Homeland Security, the first incident occurred Nov. 4, 2018, when Gutierrez Garcia and other MS-13 members were involved in the killing of Victor Alvarenga near his home in Flushing, Queens. Authorities said Gutierrez Garcia acted as a driver and assisted in planning the attack, which investigators said was carried out at the direction of gang leadership.
Officials said a second killing took place Feb. 3, 2019, involving 20-year-old Abel Mosso. According to authorities, Gutierrez Garcia and other individuals followed Mosso onto a subway train in Queens before assaulting him and forcing him onto a platform at a later stop.
Federal officials said the group attacked Mosso in a public area before he was fatally shot. Authorities said the incident occurred in the presence of commuters and was investigated by federal and local law enforcement agencies.
Homeland Security Investigations worked alongside other law enforcement partners during the investigation, which led to Gutierrez Garcia’s arrest and prosecution, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the case reflects ongoing efforts to investigate and prosecute gang-related violence involving individuals living in the United States unlawfully.
“This MS-13 gang member participated in two brutal murders while illegally in our country,” Bis said in a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal officials said Gutierrez Garcia entered the United States illegally at an unknown time and location.
Authorities said the case was part of broader enforcement efforts targeting transnational criminal organizations operating within the United States.
