MS-13 members in Texas prison charged with murder of fellow inmates

BEAUMONT, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Seven MS-13 members in Texas have been charged with the murders and attempted murders of rival gang members inside the U.S. Penitentiary in Beaumont.

Officials say the members of La Mara Salvatrucha attacked rival gang members on January 31, 2022.

A 15-count indictment filed this week show charges related to the planning and execution of an attack orchestrated by members of MS-13 against Mexican Mafia and Sureños associates. The strike resulted in two deaths, two attempted murders, and a nationwide lockdown of all inmates in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for almost a week.

Joint Task Force Vulcan Director John J. Durham said, "Even while incarcerated, MS-13 members remain committed to the organization's violent ideology and, as alleged in this indictment, continue to engage in extreme acts of murder and attempted murder."

According to prosecutors, MS-13 members Juan Carolos Rivas-Moreiera; Dimas Alfaro-Granados; Raul Landaverde-Giron; Larry Navarete; Jorge Parada; Hector Ramires; and Sergio Sibrian attacked the rival gang members and Mexican Mafia associate in the A-A Housing Unit.

Officials say Rivas-Moreiera began the attack when he came up behind Guillermo Riojas and stabbed him twice in the chest. The MS-13 defendants then chased, cornered, beat, and repeatedly stabbed Andrew Pineda, and other Sureños members. The attacked reportedly only lasted about three minutes.

One of the victims who died had multiple stab wounds to his heart and lung, the other suffered more than 45 stab wounds to his body.  

Each of the accused gang members could face the death penalty if convicted on the murder charges.

Officials say the Mexican Mafia controls large portions of the Hispanic prison population in Texas, California and the federal prison system.

According to the indictment, MS-13 has had a relationship with the Mexican Mafia and the Sureños for protection in prisons but that the relationship began falling apart "... as MS-13's leadership in El Salvador sought to exert more control and independence of its own members while incarcerated in prisons within the United States."