Feds Charge 3 MS-13 Members In Florida Cold-Case Murder, More Arrests Expected: AG Bondi
Charlie Kirk Staff
04/04/2025

Three suspected MS-13 gang members are now facing federal murder charges tied to a 2015 killing in Florida. Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement Friday, saying the case is part of a bigger investigation into multiple murders in South Florida.
The three suspects are accused of killing 22-year-old Gerson Vilelio Vasquez-Portillo in western Palm Beach County. He was believed to be connected to a rival gang. Officials say the murder involved both stabbing and shooting, Fox reports.
The case is one of four murders from 2014 and 2015 that were reopened and investigated again. Authorities say one victim in a separate case was stabbed 100 times and then shot in the head.
“These gangs are organized. They are terrorists. And look at these guys, they thought they got away with it for almost a decade but they did not,” Bondi said. “They are living among us because they think they can get away with this, and they cannot.”
The three suspects arrested include Hugo Adiel Bermudez-Martinez, who was caught in Minnesota, and Jose Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla and Wilber Rosendo Navarro-Escobar, who were arrested in Florida.
“We will be reviewing them to see if we will seek the death penalty,” Bondi said. “More arrests are coming. If you are a gang member living in this country, I’d self-deport right now because we’re coming after you.”
The arrests were part of “Operation Sombra De La Bestia,” which means “Operation Shadow of the Beast.” Bondi was joined by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and the Broward Sheriff’s Office when she gave the update.
Authorities say five other MS-13 members were also involved in Vasquez-Portillo’s killing.
Other murders being looked at include the 2014 killing of Joel Antonio Canizales-Lara, 18, who was stabbed around 100 times after falsely claiming to be a gang member. His body was buried in a shallow grave and wasn’t found until 2021.
Omar DeJesus Gutierrez, 18, was shot for allegedly flashing rival gang signs, but officials say he wasn’t even part of a gang. In another case, 25-year-old Chrislet Ondina was stabbed to death in 2015 during a gang initiation, according to court documents.
Authorities say gang initiations often involve murder. Tirado-Silva and Cruz-Ortiz were reportedly involved in three of the killings, and Tovar was linked to two.
Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said these suspects may have thought they were in the clear, but law enforcement doesn’t forget.
“It doesn’t matter when you committed the crime. It doesn’t matter what part of this world you’re from. If you come here in this community and decide that you’re going to take a life, we’re going to unleash every single resources to bring you to justice,” Tony said.
MS-13 was started in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing war. Since then, the gang has spread across the U.S. and is known for violent crimes like murder, extortion, and drug trafficking.
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