Bondi Announces MS-13 Arrests in Florida Killing/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal charges Friday against three alleged MS-13 gang members in a 2014 Florida homicide. The move underscores the Trump administration’s intensified campaign against violent gangs. Authorities warn more arrests are imminent as part of ongoing investigations.
Bondi Announces MS-13 Arrests in Florida Killing – Quick Looks
- Three alleged MS-13 members charged in brutal 2014 Florida homicide
- Pam Bondi says more arrests are coming, warns gang members to “self-deport”
- Victim was stabbed nearly 100 times and shot, according to federal prosecutors
- Justice Department cracking down on MS-13, designated a foreign terrorist group
- Suspects arrested in Florida and Minnesota, tied to multiple killings
- MS-13 investigations reopened in 2020, leading to new charges
- Body of Joel Canizales-Lara recovered in 2021, after 2014 disappearance
- Trump administration highlights gang crackdown as part of broader immigration policy
Bondi Announces MS-13 Arrests in Florida Killing
Deep Look
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday announced federal charges against three alleged members of the MS-13 gang, connecting them to a grisly 2014 murder in South Florida. Speaking at a press conference in Fort Lauderdale, Bondi emphasized the Trump administration’s commitment to dismantling violent gangs operating within U.S. borders.
“These arrests are just the beginning,” Bondi said. “If you are a gang member living in this country, I’d self-deport right now because we’re coming after you.”
The three defendants—Jose Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla, Wilber Rosendo Navarro-Escobar, and Hugo Adiel Bermudez-Martinez—are accused of participating in a killing where the victim was stabbed nearly 100 times before being shot. Gamez-Maravilla and Navarro-Escobar were arrested in Florida, while Bermudez-Martinez was taken into custody in Minnesota. Efforts to reach legal representation for the accused were not immediately successful.
The arrests are part of a broader effort by the Department of Justice to target MS-13, a gang the administration has officially classified as a foreign terrorist organization. Originating in Los Angeles, the gang has evolved into a powerful transnational criminal network with strongholds in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and throughout the United States.
Authorities said the killing was one of four connected to MS-13 in South Florida between 2014 and 2015. These cases had initially gone cold but were reopened in 2020. The investigation into the disappearance of Joel Canizales-Lara, missing since 2014, led to a multi-day excavation in 2021 that eventually recovered his remains. Officials believe he was another victim of the gang’s violent tactics.
Bondi’s announcement follows a recent high-profile arrest of an alleged East Coast MS-13 leader, further underscoring the administration’s intensified pursuit of gang leadership structures.
Federal officials note that the gang often employs brutal tactics, using knives and machetes for executions. The group’s organized, cell-like structure makes it particularly difficult to dismantle, with “cliques” spread across numerous U.S. states.
Over the last decade, the Department of Justice has poured significant resources into MS-13 investigations, partnering with local, state, and federal agencies to target the gang’s leadership and operational hubs. The administration has framed the effort as part of a broader campaign against illegal immigration and violent crime.
Bondi reaffirmed the administration’s position: “We are committed to making sure no community in this country lives under the threat of gangs like MS-13. These individuals do not belong here, and we will use every tool available to prosecute and remove them.”
With more arrests anticipated, federal prosecutors continue to build cases against other alleged members tied to the 2014–2015 Florida killings. Investigators say that while progress has been made, the fight against transnational gangs like MS-13 remains a top federal priority.
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