CHARLOTTE — Two MS-13, aka Mara Salvatrucha, members from the Charlotte area were arrested in connection with six murders on Long Island, New York, federal officials said.
The 24-count indictment was unsealed Tuesday charging eight members from the criminal organization.
[9 Investigates: An inside look at how feds took down MS-13 in Charlotte]
Jose Moises Blanco, 30, of Salisbury, and Oseas Gonzalez, 28, of Charlotte, were arrested Tuesday in their respective towns.
The victims were hacked with machetes, shot and decapitated, prosecutors said.
The two appeared in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina and were both detained.
The eight defendants face several charges, including racketeering, murder, attempted murders, assaults, kidnapping conspiracy and narcotics trafficking.
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“This investigation outlines the strategy used to kidnap, assault and murder six individuals by alleged members of MS-13. Each act is distinctive, but all are clear examples of the charged extreme violence and savagery of the defendants. I commend our law enforcement partners for their diligent and meaningful work,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Donovan.
The defendants are members of the Sailors and Hollywood cliques of the MS-13 gang, both of whom had a significant presence in Nassau County, collaborated in the criminal activities, including the murders of suspected rival gang members.
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