Leaders Of MS-13 Clique Sentenced To Prison For Racketeering Conspiracy

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Two leaders of the La Mara Salvatrucha gang (known as MS-13) were sentenced in federal court today for engaging in violent criminal conduct in support of the criminal organization, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today's announcement.

Fredy Mauricio Buruca, a/k/a "Piranha," "Machete," and "Insoportable," 27, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 30 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender. Buruca pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and kidnapping a minor. Santos Guillermo Ramirez Mancia, a/k/a "Azazel," "Timido," and "Johnny," 34, also of El Salvador, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mancia pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy.

"MS-13 is one of the most dangerous and ruthless gangs in the country," said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. "We are working to eliminate this gang from existence, and I am proud to say this prosecution has completely dismantled an entire MS-13 clique known as the Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha Clique that operated up and down the eastern seaboard."

"MS-13 gang members feed on brutality, violence, and intimidation. No matter how committed they are to creating chaos in our communities, the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain laser focused to stop the threat. Today's sentences demonstrate our dedication to eradicate MS-13 from the top down," said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Davis.

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, Buruca and Mancia were leaders and members of the MS-13 sub-unit, or clique, known as the Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha Clique (the HLS clique), which operated in and around the Western District of North Carolina and other areas in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. From at least December 2018 and continuing through November 2022, as leaders and members of the HLS clique, the defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity in furtherance of the MS-13 enterprise.

The investigation into the gang's criminal activity revealed that these criminal acts were committed to promote a climate of fear and intimidation within the gang; to maintain the gang's control and to expand its territory; to enforce discipline within the gang and punish any acts of disrespect; to intimidate witnesses and discourage cooperation with law enforcement; and to retaliate against rivals.

According to court documents, Buruca was "First Word," or the leader of the HLS clique in Charlotte. As First Word, Buruca participated in and sanctioned a pattern of racketeering activity in furtherance of the MS-13 enterprise, that consisted of multiple violent acts including extortion, robbery, and kidnapping. For example, on or about December 12, 2021, Buruca, in the presence of Mancia and other MS-13 members, threatened and demanded money from an individual identified as D.G.L. at a nightclub in Woodbridge, Virginia, in exchange for MS-13's protection. When D.G.L. refused to pay the "protection money" and attempted to leave the nightclub, Buruca fired several shots at D.G.L., hitting bystanders. Then on February 19, 2022, Buruca, along with other MS-13 members, used firearms to rob A.Z.C. of his vehicle and other belongings in Monroe, N.C. On the same day, Buruca and other MS-13 members used firearms to rob three other victims in Charlotte. Buruca also kidnapped one of those victims, who was a minor, by forcing her into a vehicle at gunpoint. Buruca then made ransom demands for the kidnapped minor victim and instructed another individual on how to deliver the payment.

According to court documents, Mancia also engaged in criminal activity in furtherance of the MS-13 enterprise, including committing acts of violence against rival gang members. Court records show that, on December 2, 2018, Mancia shot and seriously injured an individual identified as J.G.J. because he was a rival, or "chavala," with "Mara 18," one of MS-13's rival gangs. In late 2021, Mancia was promoted to "Frist Word" of the HLS clique, following Buruca's arrest for the nightclub shooting incident in Woodbridge.

According to court records, on November 6, 2022, Mancia along with two co-defendants, Christian Alejandro Garcia Santa Cruz, a/k/a "Crimen," and Aderly Jose Veliz-Ronquillo, a/k/a "Chanchin," were at a nightclub in Charlotte. Over the course of the evening, Mancia, Santa Cruz, and Veliz-Ronquillo got into an argument with several men, including W.G.M., at the parking lot of the nightclub. During the argument, Mancia identified himself as MS-13 to the other men. At some point, W.G.M. and Mancia shoved each other. Ronquillo then shot W.G.M. once and Santa-Cruz shot the victim three times, causing the victim to sustain fatal gunshot wounds. Mancia was later arrested in Annapolis, Maryland, for his involvement in the shooting incident.

On April 16, 2025, Santa-Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo were each sentenced to 35 years in prison for using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in W.G.M.'s death.

A fifth co-defendant and MS-13 member, Luis Fernando Guardardo Moreno, a/k/a "Fantasma" and "Scrappy," was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison followe =d by three years of supervised release for RICO conspiracy. A sixth MS-13 member charged in this case, Juan Francisco Sanchez Estrada, a/k/a "Nene" and "Turbo," was sentenced to 14 years in prison in the Middle District of North Carolina, after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy, following a consolidation of federal cases against him in each district.

The defendants will remain in federal custody until they are transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today's announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI, HSI, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Davidson County Sheriff's Office, the Kannapolis Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Prince William County (Virginia) Sheriff's Office, and the Annapolis (Maryland) Police Department for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Lindahl and David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.