Three MS-13 Members Charged in Assassination of FBI Informant in LA

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Three alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) gang have been charged with murder for the assassination of an informant who was on the phone with his FBI handler during the attack, prosecutors announced. The incident occurred on February 18 at a grocery store in South Los Angeles, where Herlyn Barrientos, 47, was approached and shot by the suspects.

According to the Department of Justice, Dennis Anaya Urias, 26, and Grevil Zelaya Santiago, 25, both of South Los Angeles, are charged with murder in aid of racketeering, risking life sentences or even the death penalty. A third suspect, Roberto Carlos Aguilar, 30, faces similar charges. Barrientos was infamous for cooperating with law enforcement against MS-13's methamphetamine operations.

Prosecutors revealed that the gang had issued a "greenlight" for Barrientos' death as punishment for his cooperation, demonstrating the brutal repercussions faced by informants in gang culture. The suspects are currently being held without bail and are set to appear in court again on June 3, as MS-13 continues to be a dominant gang presence in Southern California.

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