Federal trial starts for men accused of being MS-13 leaders, linked to 11 killings

Noble Brigham, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Mar 23, 2026

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LAS VEGAS — A federal trial began Monday for a group of men whom prosecutors have linked to 11 killings and accused of being officials in the MS-13 gang.

The trial could last as long as three months and comes as a debate about immigration plays out in national politics.

Prosecutors have said the defendants would be subject to removal proceedings if they were released from custody.

Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, David Arturo Perez-Manchame and Joel Vargas-Escobar face counts including murder, RICO conspiracy and possessing a firearm during a crime.

Alexander De Jesus Figueroa-Torres would have been on trial as well, but in January he agreed to plead guilty to counts including RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering and causing death through use of a firearm. Court records do not show a formal plea entry hearing for Figueroa-Torres.

The killings occurred in Nevada and California between 2017 and 2018, according to court records. Prosecutors are not alleging that every slaying was directly carried out by all four defendants, but each of the men is accused in connection with at least one killing.

The case has attracted the attention of high-ranking officials in President Donald Trump’s administration.

“This terrorist entered our country illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders — under President Trump’s leadership, we will not rest until this terrorist organization is completely dismantled and its members are behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement after the arrest of Vargas-Escobar in New York last year.

Vargas-Escobar’s attorney, Richard Tanasi, has said his client is only directly charged in two murders.

The Justice Department has asserted the defendants were part of MS-13’s command structure in Las Vegas and California and “exercised significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations.”

In many of the killings, prosecutors alleged in a news release, the victims were kidnapped and taken to remote mountain and desert locations where they were tortured and killed.

U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro quizzed potential jurors on their political leanings, awareness of the case and squeamishness.

“Anyone have a problem seeing blood?” she asked.

No one raised a hand.

Some prospective jurors reported hearing about the case in news coverage. Most indicated they were political moderates.

Navarro also asked potential jurors about their familiarity with gangs.

One man said his brother was in a gang during the 1990s, and that he became a gang member himself. Others reported growing up around gangs, with one woman saying her family moved out of the South Side of Chicago to avoid them.

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty for any of the defendants, but defense attorneys in the case previously raised concerns that their clients could face capital punishment after federal prosecutors in a Reno case said they would not seek death, then changed course in a highly unusual move.

The unrelated Reno defendant, Cory Spurlock, was sentenced to life in prison after U.S. District Judge Miranda Du rejected the last-minute plan to pursue capital punishment for him.

Despite the expected lengthiness of the trial, some potential jurors said they were excited about the possibility of serving on the jury and learning more about the law.

“The only thing I know about the law is what ‘Special Victims Unit,’” said one woman.

“It’s something different than what I do 40 hours a week: billing,” another told the judge.

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