Minnesota Man Indicted For MS-13 Gang Slaying in Florida

Miami, FL (KROC-AM News) - A Minnesota man is among three men indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Florida on charges stemming from an investigation into the murder of a man allegedly connected to the notorious MS-13 gang.

The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida says 30-year-old Hugo Adeiel Bermundez-Martinez (aka "Blue") of St. Paul was arrested last month on a charge of murder in aid of racketeering activity for the 2015 death of a 22-year-old man in Palm Beach, Florida.

According to a news release, the body of the victim was discovered in a vacant lot in early May 2015. The victim had been repeatedly stabbed in the face, neck, torso, and groin. He was also shot in the head.

Two other men, José Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla (aka "Chango") and Wilbur Rosendo Navarro- Escobar (aka "Power") were also indicted by the federal grand jury on the same charge. All three men are now in federal custody.

Florida federal prosecutors say, if convicted, they face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison. The maximum penalty for the conviction is death by execution.

“These vicious and callous acts by MS-13 not only shattered lives but also undermined the safety and security of South Florida communities,” said Hayden P. O’Byrne, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Through my office’s unwavering partnership with other federal, state, and local law enforcement, we are sending a clear message to those who inflict violence, feed drug addiction, or cause other harm to the people of our district: We will find you; we will prosecute you; and we will apply the full force of American justice.”

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The US Department of Justice says the MS-13 gang is a transnational criminal organization that has been recognized by the United States as a terrorist group. Federal officials say members of the gang are largely from Central America.