Three alleged MS-13 gang members arrested in connection to Florida cold case murders

Attorney General Pam Bondi joined deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office in announcing the arrests of three MS-13 gang members connected to multiple cold case murders in Florida.

Deputies said on Friday the arrests are in connection to four gang-related cold case homicides that occurred in Broward and Palm Beach counties from 2014 to 2015. They will face federal charges.

One of the cases resulted in the forensic excavation and recovery of a victim found buried in Oakland Park in 2021.

“The victim in this case was brutally murdered. Stabbed approximately 100 times by multiple gang members before getting shot in the head,” Bondi said. “We don’t care how long, where you go. We will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.

“These cases are never cold when it comes to law enforcement.”

Nine people were arrested in the multi-agency operation named Operation Sombra De La Bestia, or Operation Shadow of the Beast, with six already convicted.

Those recently indicted include Jose Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla, Hugo Adiel Bermudez-Martinez and Wilber Rosendo Navarro-Escobar.

Bondi said the man who was stabbed 100 times was lured into one of the suspect’s vehicles and driven to a location where he was attacked as part of a gang initiation.

The announcement comes one week after the arrest of 24-year-old Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, from El Salvador, who is accused of overseeing MS-13 operations on the East Coast and is considered one of the top three leaders of the gang in the United States.

He was charged with illegal alien of a firearm, but more charges are pending.

President Donald Trump designated MS-13 as a foreign terrorist organization in 2018, allowing federal agencies expanded resources to track down and prosecute the members.

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