The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday 18 MS-13 Tennessee gang members were sentenced to a combined total of 400 years.
The culmination of a multi-year federal, state and local law enforcement investigation led to the final sentencing of 18 defendants connected with the MS-13 gang in Nashville, Tennessee, according to the DOJ. The criminal activities involved ranged from racketeering conspiracy to murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping, drug trafficking, firearms offenses and more.
MS-13 street gang members sentenced for murders, kidnappings that terrorized Nashville. https://t.co/GIhCkDxQqA
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The federal court handed down sentences to a group of individuals. Jorge Flores, 31, received a life sentence with an additional 65 years. Kevin Tidwell, 30, also got a life sentence plus 30 years. Luis Colindres, 27, was sentenced to 55 years, while Jose Pineda-Caceres, 25, received 52 years and three months. Gerson Serrano-Ramirez, 36, was sentenced to 34 years. Carlos Ochoa-Martinez, 34, and Francisco Avila, 26, each received 30-year sentences. Franklin Hernandez, 24, was sentenced to 28 years and 11 months.
Jason Sandoval, 38, received 20 years, and Oscar Delgado-Flores, 30, got 19 years and eight months. Angel Daniel-Garcia, 38, was sentenced to 13 years and nine months. Bryan Paredes and Jose Calderon, both 27 and 24 respectively, each received 10-year sentences. Hector Venturas, 28, received 12 years and seven months, while Juan Melendez, 25, was sentenced to 8 years. The rest received less than 10 years of sentence.
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 29: The Justice Department seal is seen on the lectern during a Hate Crimes Subcommittee summit on June 29, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
This operation highlighted the persistent threat posed by MS-13, an international street gang primarily comprised of individuals of Salvadoran or Central American descent. Operating since at least 2014, the gang members engaged in numerous violent crimes to maintain their power and territory, including multiple murders and kidnappings.
The series of convictions included high-profile cases such as the 2016 murder of a man believed to be a rival gang member, and the killing of a young woman celebrating her 18th birthday, mistakenly killed in a shooting initially targeting her brother, according to the DOJ. In response to these heinous acts, federal and local authorities have intensified their efforts to dismantle gang operations and mitigate violence in communities.
