Acting AG Todd Blanche Authorizes Death Penalty in MS-13 Cooperating Witness Murder Case
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has authorized federal prosecutors in California to seek the death penalty against three alleged MS-13 members accused of murdering a cooperating witness in South Los Angeles, according to an April 8 memo obtained by CBS News. Blanche directed First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli of the Central District of California to pursue capital punishment for Roberto Carlos Aguilar, Dennis Anaya Urias and Grevil Zelaya Santiago, who are charged with murder in aid of racketeering. Prosecutors say MS-13 leadership issued a "green light" order after learning the victim was helping federal authorities, and that Urias and Santiago allegedly carried out the February 18, 2025 shooting at a grocery store. About an hour before his death, the victim twice called authorities, reporting that gang members had just tried to shoot him but the gun misfired; during the second call, gunshots can be heard on the line, according to a Justice Department release. The charges carry a mandatory life sentence and make the defendants eligible for the federal death penalty if convicted, underscoring the Blanche‑led DOJ’s willingness to revive and aggressively use capital punishment in gang and witness‑intimidation cases.
📌 Key Facts
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an April 8 memo authorizing pursuit of the federal death penalty in an MS-13 murder case.
- Defendants Roberto Carlos Aguilar, Dennis Anaya Urias and Grevil Zelaya Santiago are charged with murder in aid of racketeering in the Central District of California.
- Prosecutors allege MS-13 issued a 'green light' after learning the victim was cooperating, and that Urias and Santiago shot him at a South Los Angeles grocery store on Feb. 18, 2025.
- The victim twice called authorities shortly before being killed, reporting an attempted shooting and, on the second call, gunshots were heard, according to DOJ.
- If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory life sentence and are eligible for the federal death penalty.
📊 Relevant Data
MS-13 originated in Los Angeles in the 1980s among Salvadoran immigrants fleeing the civil war in El Salvador, which was prolonged by US military and financial support to the Salvadoran government against leftist guerrillas.
Central American gangs like MS-13 were born out of failed anti-crime policies — The Conversation
US deportation policies in the 1990s and 2000s exported MS-13 members from the US back to Central America, contributing to the gang's growth and transnational operations.
MS13 in the Americas — InSight Crime
MS-13 members in the US are predominantly of Central American descent, particularly Salvadoran, with estimates of 8,000 to 10,000 members in the US as of 2018, representing less than 1% of total US gang members.
MS-13 — Wikipedia
In federal death penalty cases, 74% of defendants recommended for the death penalty by prosecutors between 1995 and 2000 were people of color, compared to people of color comprising about 42% of the US population in 2020; however, Black individuals, who are 13% of the population, accounted for about 50% of homicide offenders in 2023, and Hispanics, 19% of the population, about 25% of offenders.
Race and the Death Penalty — NACDL
As of 2023, Black individuals comprise 40.66% of death row inmates and Latinos 14.72%, compared to 13% and 19% of the US population respectively; per capita homicide offending rates show Blacks at about 8 times the White rate and Hispanics at about 2 times, with most homicides (over 80%) being intra-racial.
Race and the Death Penalty by the Numbers — Death Penalty Information Center
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