Inside the Brutal MS-13 Gang Murders: The Violent Shift in Los Angeles
Angel Guzman was accused of a brutal gang murder in Los Angeles and got a tattoo depicting a heart being gripped by clawlike fingers. Prosecutors claimed that Guzman killed and dismembered Juan Jose Sibrian in the Angeles National Forest in 2017. The murder was said to be a result of a violent shift within MS-13's Fulton clique, where aspiring members were now required to commit killings to rise through the ranks. Guzman and three other men were on trial for racketeering and using violence to advance the gang's interests.
The gang's leaders reportedly enforced "Salvadoran rules," demanding that members kill to become full-fledged "homeboys." Edgar Velasquez, described as the clique's shot caller, was accused of implementing these rules. The prosecution's case relied on testimonies from MS-13-affiliated cooperators who admitted to participating in the murders in exchange for leniency. The trial focused on three killings in 2017 that illustrated how the Fulton clique's adoption of Salvadoran rules turned L.A. County's mountain roads into killing grounds.
The first victim, Sibrian, was targeted for allegedly defacing MS-13 graffiti and using methamphetamine. He was lured by Fulton members to the Angeles National Forest, where he was brutally attacked with machetes and knives, stabbed 107 times, and had his heart removed. The second victim, G.B., was believed to have cooperated with law enforcement and was killed in a similar manner. The third victim, Elvin Hernandez, falsely claimed to be an MS-13 member and was brutally murdered in the forest.
MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, originated in Central L.A. in the late 1980s and spread to El Salvador due to arrests and deportations. The gang's adoption of Salvadoran rules in recent years aimed to impose stricter loyalty tests on members. The violence perpetrated by the Fulton clique in L.A. deviated from the gang's usual secretive operations, attracting law enforcement attention. The killings were meant to instill loyalty to MS-13 among its members.
Prosecutors presented recorded statements from defendant Jose Jonathan Castillo, who boasted about his role in the killings and expressed unwavering dedication to the gang. The trial shed light on the extreme violence and loyalty demanded by MS-13 in Los Angeles, showcasing the gang's ruthless tactics and strict hierarchy. The case highlighted the gang's evolution and the brutal consequences of defying its rules.