It included murders, one was in Frederick County.
Baltimore, Md (KM) Two MS 13 gang members were sentenced this week in US District Court in Baltimore. Jose Alberto Sibrian Garcia, 28, of Silver Spring, and Carlos Hernandez Diaz, 29, also of Silver Spring, were each given 27 years in federal prison. They’ll be placed on five-years of supervised release after they get out..
Federal officials say Sibrian Garcia, also known as Chango, was sentenced on Wednesday; Hernandez Diaz, also known as Positiivo, was sentenced on Thursday.
The US Attorney’s Office for Maryland says the two are charged with federal racketeering offenses related to participating in a violent conspiracy, including two murders in the region.. One of those homicides occurred in Frederick County. Federal officials say a person identified as Victim 14 was located in Silver Spring. Diaz and other gang member took the victim to the City of Frederick Watershed off of Gambrill Park Road in April, 2017, where he was struck with a tree branch and stabbed with a machete and knives until he was dead. Victim 14’s body was dismembered and dumped into a grave. The remains were found in June, 2017.
Authorities say Sibrian Garcia was involved in a murder which took place in Wheaton, in March 2017, and an attempted murder which also took place in July, 2016, in Wheaton. The victim in that second incident survived..
Sibrian Garcia was also involved in assaults on two victims on June, 2017 at Wheaton Regional Park.
Hernandez Diaz is also connected with drug distribution in the region.
The US Attorney’s Office says a total of 29 defendants have been charged for participating in a racketeering conspiracy and other crimes connected with their association with MS-13. That includes 18 defendants charged in an indictment issued on October 21st, 2019. 13 individuals have pleaded guilty to their participation in MS-13 gang activities.
MS-13 is composed primarily of immigrants and descendants from El Salvador. and other Central American countries. It is one of the largest street gangs in the country, operating in Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s and Anne Arundel Counties.
“MS-13 members are committing horrifying acts of violence in Maryland. We must not allow these criminals to ravage our communities,” say US Attorney for Maryland Robert Hur, in a statement. “Federal, state and local law enforcement will use all the tools at our disposal to arrest and prosecute gang members who prey on our neighbors. We will not rest until we dismantle this organization to make Maryland safe.”
By Kevin McManu