A Deadly 2017 Shooting Recounted (Image Credits: Pixabay)
Las Vegas – A former MS-13 gang member faced intense scrutiny from defense attorneys during cross-examination in a federal trial accusing three alleged gang leaders of orchestrating 11 brutal killings. The proceedings unfolded at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse, where prosecutors rely heavily on cooperators like Alexander De Jesus Figueroa-Torres to connect the defendants to a string of murders in Nevada and California from 2017 to 2018.[1][2] Figueroa-Torres, who pleaded guilty in January to racketeering and murder charges, detailed his own role in a 2017 slaying while defending his credibility against accusations of fabrication.
A Deadly 2017 Shooting Recounted
The testimony began last week when Figueroa-Torres described carrying out a fatal shooting at an apartment complex on Triest Court, near East Bonanza Road and North Lamb Boulevard. He recounted pulling out a weapon and firing at 29-year-old Daniel Clark, who fought desperately for his life. “He screamed a lot because he didn’t want to die, but I kept shooting at him,” the witness stated.[1]
Figueroa-Torres claimed Joel Vargas-Escobar supplied the gun for the murder, though the other defendants faced no direct charges in that incident. After the killing, he expressed reluctance to commit further violence. Prosecutors used this account to illustrate how such acts advanced members’ status within MS-13’s rigid hierarchy.
Defense Attorneys Launch Aggressive Cross-Examination
Attorneys for the defendants wasted no time challenging Figueroa-Torres’s reliability. Richard Tanasi, representing Vargas-Escobar, remarked, “I’m going to try to keep up with when you tell the truth and when you lie.” The witness responded firmly, “I’m not here to convince anyone. I’m here to tell the truth.” Tanasi pressed on the incentives for cooperation, noting the potential for a reduced sentence below life imprisonment.[1]
Monti Levy, counsel for Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, cataloged the witness’s criminal history bluntly. “So you’re a murderer, a thief, a drug dealer and a liar, correct?” Levy asked. Figueroa-Torres affirmed, “That’s correct.” Levy highlighted a plea document promising leniency for substantial assistance and posed a stark hypothetical: “If it comes down to you spending the rest of your life in prison or my client spending the rest of his life in prison, you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it’s not you, correct?” The witness replied that hope remained his last resort.[1]
Unpacking MS-13’s Command Structure
Prosecutors portray the defendants as key figures in MS-13’s Parkview clique, wielding authority over operations in Las Vegas and California. Reyes-Castillo, Perez-Manchame, and Vargas-Escobar face racketeering conspiracy charges alongside murder counts and firearm violations. Not every defendant stands accused in all 11 slayings, but each links to multiple incidents, often involving kidnappings to remote desert or mountain sites for torture and execution.[2]
Figueroa-Torres testified that Reyes-Castillo once ordered a hit on suspected informant Josue Diaz-Orellana via a note to Surenos members, resulting only in a beating. The witness, who used a false name during a 2017 police encounter and later sold marijuana in El Salvador after deportation, insisted his current account rang true. He noted that leaving MS-13 required turning to Christianity, a path he, Vargas-Escobar, and Perez-Manchame explored in custody through Bible study.
The Stakes in a Lengthy Federal Case
U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro oversees the trial, which began in late March and may extend three months. Prosecutors opted against seeking the death penalty, though defense teams voiced prior concerns over shifting federal stances in similar matters. Figueroa-Torres awaits sentencing, uncertain if his cooperation yields relief from a life term.[2]
Additional witnesses, including Diaz-Orellana, loom on the horizon. The case underscores federal efforts to dismantle MS-13 leadership through RICO statutes, targeting not just individual acts but the enterprise’s violent enterprise.
- Three defendants accused in 11 killings from 2017-2018 across Nevada and California.
- Key witness Figueroa-Torres admits past lies but defends murder testimony implicating Vargas-Escobar.
- Defense highlights cooperation deal’s incentives, labeling witness a serial offender desperate for leniency.
As the trial progresses, the battle over Figueroa-Torres’s words could sway jurors on the gang’s inner workings and the defendants’ culpability. The outcome may reshape understandings of MS-13’s reach in the region. What are your thoughts on using former gang members as witnesses in such cases? Share in the comments below.
