Seven members of the MS-13 gang have been sentenced in connection with a double homicide that occurred in January 2022 at the Beaumont federal prison. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. for the Eastern District of Texas on Friday last week.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office release, Juan Carlos Rivas-Moreiera, a high-ranking MS-13 member, received an additional life sentence for his role in the attack. Hector Ramires was sentenced to 360 months. The group was convicted of planning and carrying out an assault against rival gang members, which resulted in two deaths and two attempted murders. The attack prompted a nationwide lockdown of the federal prison system.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the assault lasted approximately eight minutes and involved more than 45 stab wounds. Orders for the attack were reportedly issued by MS-13 leaders in El Salvador.
The FBI and the Federal Bureau of Prisons were involved in the investigation. The case was part of Operation Take Back America and Joint Task Force Vulcan, federal initiatives aimed at combating MS-13 and other transnational criminal organizations.
Additional defendants—Larry Navarete, Jorge Parada, Raul Landaverde-Giron, Sergio Sibrian, and Dimas Alfaro-Granados—also received lengthy prison sentences. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte in coordination with the Eastern District of Texas and JTFV.
