Three suspected South Los Angeles-based members of a transnational street gang are facing federal charges of murdering a former fellow gang member who was cooperating with law enforcement on a federal racketeering and methamphetamine trafficking case, officials announced Friday.
Dennis Anaya Urias, 26, and Grevil Zelaya Santiago, 25, are charged in Los Angeles federal court with murder in aid of racketeering, a felony that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison and a possible death sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Roberto Carlos Aguilar, 30, is charged in a separate federal criminal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering. Aguilar is an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, while Urias is a legal permanent resident, and Santiago has a pending visa application, officials said.
All three defendants made their initial appearances late Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, and a federal magistrate judge ordered them jailed without bond and scheduled their arraignments for June 3.
Prosecutors allege that Urias and Santiago shot the victim at a grocery store in South Los Angeles in February. The victim’s status as a government cooperator was well known by the gang and made the victim subject to a “green light” order that made him a target for murder, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Approximately one hour before the victim’s death, he had what appeared to be a chance encounter with Aguilar inside the grocery store, prosecutors said. Following the encounter, Aguilar set in motion a series of events that led to Urias and Santiago shooting and killing the victim, court papers allege.
During the evening of Feb. 18, the victim made two telephone calls to authorities, saying he was at the grocery store where gang members had just tried to kill him, prosecutors said. He said he had been talking with gang members when a man with a covered face approached and tried to shoot him, but the gun did not fire, court papers show.
Prosecutors said that at one point during the second telephone call, several gunshots were heard.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, by murdering the victim, Aguilar, Urias and Santiago either avoided discipline or enhanced their status within the gang.