Alleged MS-13 Leader Extradited to U.S. to Face Racketeering Charges

Moises Humberto Rivera-Luna, also known as Viejo Santos, appeared in U.S. District Court on Wednesday following his extradition from Guatemala to face a racketeering charge linked to at least one murder. Rivera-Luna, 55, is alleged to be an international leader of the MS-13 gang, a transnational criminal organization known for violent activity. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered him to be held without bond.

The extradition was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., along with officials from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Rivera-Luna is among seven defendants named in a superseding indictment issued in May 2013. The charges include racketeering conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon, though Rivera-Luna is charged only with racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that while incarcerated in El Salvador, he directed MS-13 operations in the Washington, D.C. area. After his release, he traveled to Guatemala, where he was later extradited.

Authorities contend that Rivera-Luna played a leadership role in the gang’s criminal activities, including coordinating assaults and murders. The indictment claims he was involved in ordering the killing of Louis Alberto Membreno-Zelaya, who was found stabbed to death in Northwest Washington, D.C., in 2008, as well as Felipe Enriquez, whose body was discovered in Maryland in 2010.

“This case demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable those who engage in violent criminal activity, regardless of where they are located,” U.S. Attorney Martin said in a statement.

Officials say MS-13 is engaged in a range of crimes, including murder, drug trafficking, extortion, and obstruction of justice. The indictment alleges that gang members in the Washington, D.C. area maintained contact with leaders in El Salvador, who directed acts of violence.

The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The investigation involved ICE’s HSI Washington Field Office, MPD, and multiple law enforcement agencies from Maryland and Virginia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs played a key role in securing Rivera-Luna’s extradition.

Authorities emphasize that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and Rivera-Luna, like all defendants, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.