Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran member of the transnational street gang La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison in connection with the kidnapping and murder of an adolescent boy in 2016.
According to court documents, Edwin Orellana Caballero, who was 16 years old and living in Alexandria at the time, was one of several members and associates of the Park View Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13 who kidnapped and killed a 14-year-old victim, S.A.A.T. On the night of September 26, 2016, the gang lured S.A.A.T. to Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Fairfax County and murdered him in a wooded area there with knives, machetes, and a pickaxe. Orellana Caballero struck S.A.A.T. multiple times with the pickaxe. Once S.A.A.T. was dead, the gang buried him in a shallow grave.
Orellana Caballero, who was transferred for prosecution as an adult under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, pleaded guilty to one count of maiming in aid of racketeering activity. In so doing, he admitted to participating in S.A.A.T.’s murder for the purpose of maintaining and increasing his position in MS-13.
To date, a total of 17 defendants have been charged in this case. Of those, five defendants went to trial and were convicted of all charges. Ten defendants pleaded guilty prior to trial.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Washington Field Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Alexandria Police Department, Prince William County Police Department, Montgomery County (MD) Police Department, and Marin County (CA) Sheriff’s Office provided significant assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Blanchard and Cristina C. Stam prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-153.