S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Brayan Alexander Torres, a/k/a “Spooky,” age 29, of Adelphi, Maryland, yesterday to 28 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy, including murder, related to his participation in the Weedams Locos Salvatrucha (“WLS”) clique of the MS-13 gang, which operated primarily in Adelphi, Maryland.  Torres was the clique’s leader or “First Word.”  Judge Xinis also ordered that Torres pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, including any funeral costs incurred by Victim 4’s estate.

According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha gang, also known as “MS-13,” is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in Maryland and throughout the United States.  MS-13 members are organized in “cliques,” smaller groups that operate in a specific city or region, and are required to commit acts of violence, both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang and against rivals.  One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, known as “chavalas,” whenever possible.  MS-13 members earn promotions and improved standing within the gang for participating in attacks on rival gang members, often at the direction of MS-13 leadership.