South Florida Federal, State, Local Law Enforcement Cooperation Leads to Murder Charges, Convictions Against MS-13 Gang Members

MIAMI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, FBI Miami, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), and other law enforcement worked in partnership to solve four local homicides connected to the MS-13 gang, a transnational criminal organization and recognized terrorist group. So far, the law enforcement collaboration has led to federal indictments in the Southern District of Florida charging murder in aid of racketeering activity (22-cr-60078 and 25-cr-20102); convictions that carry mandatory life sentences for six MS-13 members and associates; and pending charges against three defendants facing the death penalty.  

The Investigation:

Beginning in 2015, BSO Homicide Unit detectives investigated two murders that took place in a small area of Oakland Park, Florida, appeared to be gang related, and were carried out using knives or machetes:

O.G., 18. On January 7, 2015, BSO detectives found the body of O.G. in Oakland Park, Florida. O.G. was 18 years old when he was killed by machete strikes to his head and neck.    

C.O., 25. On October 19, 2015, BSO detectives responded to the scene of a stabbing in Oakland Park, Florida. They found 25-year-old C.O. in an alleyway. He had been stabbed many times in the neck and chest. C.O. was taken to the hospital but died soon after getting there. 

Investigative leads on the two cases went cold in about 2016. In 2020, the BSO Cold Case Unit reopened the unsolved homicides and partnered with FBI Miami and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (the investigative team). They learned of two additional murders with similarities to the ones BSO had reopened: 

G.V.P., 22. On May 3, 2015, the body of G.V.P. was discovered in a vacant lot in Palm Beach, Florida. G.V.P. was 22 years old when he was stabbed repeatedly in the face, neck, torso, and groin. He was also shot in the head. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, which was handling that case, collaborated with the investigative team.       

J.C.L., 18. In May 2021, the investigative team discovered the body of victim J.C.L.  after an extensive, multi-day excavation in Oakland Park, Florida. He had been punched, kicked, stabbed to death, and buried in a makeshift grave. J.C.L. was 18 years old when his family reported him missing. 

Through investigative techniques and modern technologies, the team pieced together evidence showing that MS-13 was responsible for the four homicides.     

The Federal Prosecutions:

The team secured federal indictments in two cases in the Southern District of Florida related to these MS-13 murders: the July 2022 federal criminal case against six defendants (22-cr-60078) and the March 2025 federal criminal case against three defendants (25-cr-20102).   

In the 2022 case, all six defendants have been convicted of murder in aid of racketeering activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C.§1959:  

Andy Tovar (a/k/a “Fearless”) pled guilty to two counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity. Tovar, an MS-13 gang leader, approved the murder of victim O.G., and participated in victim G.V.P.’s murder in 2015 – including shooting him in the eye.

Tovar has been sentenced to life in prison. 

Wilson Tirado-Silva (a/k/a “Sombra”) pled guilty to four charges of murder in aid of racketeering activity for his role in: the 2014 stabbing murder of victim J.C.L., the 2015 murder by machete of victim O.G., the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P., and the 2015 stabbing murder of victim C.O. Tirado-Silva was a local MS-13 leader responsible for growing the gang in South Florida. He took MS-13 recruits on kills as part of gang initiation.  

Tirado-Silva faces a mandatory life sentence.  

Miguel Angel Cabrera-Granados (a/k/a “Mariachi”) pled guilty to one count of murder in aid of racketeering activity. He participated in the 2014 stabbing murder of victim J.C.L. to gain gang membership credit.  

Cabrera-Granados faces a mandatory life sentence.  

Melvin David Cruz-Ortiz (a/k/a “Bigfoot”) pled guilty to three counts of murder in aid of racketeering activity for his role in the 2014 stabbing murder of victim J.C.L., the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P., and the 2015 stabbing murder of victim C.O. Cruz-Ortiz committed the murders to gain gang membership credit. 

Cruz-Ortiz faces a mandatory life sentence.

Kevin Ricardo Gamez-Melendez (a/k/a “Ardilla”) pled guilty to one count of murder in aid of racketeering activity for his role in the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P. 

Gamez-Melendez faces a mandatory life sentence.

Wilber Geovanni Vigil-Benitez (a/k/a “Solitario”) was convicted by a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida earlier this year for murder in aid of racketeering. The jury found Vigil-Benitez guilty for his role in the 2015 stabbing and gunshot murder of victim G.V.P. 

Vigil-Benitez faces a mandatory life sentence.     

In the March 2025 case (25-cr-20102), three defendants are charged with murder in aid of racketeering activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1959, in connection with the MS-13 stabbing and gunshot killing of victim G.V.P. They are all in federal custody:  

• Jose Ezequiel Gamez-Maravilla (a/k/a “Chango”) 

• Hugo Adiel Bermudez-Martinez (a/k/a “Blue”) 

• Wilber Rosendo Navarro-Escobar (a/k/a “Power”)   

The three defendants, whose cases are pending, face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison and a maximum sentence of death. The indictment against them is an accusation and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

“These vicious and callous acts by MS-13 not only shattered lives but also undermined the safety and security of South Florida communities,” said Hayden P. O’Byrne, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Through my office’s unwavering partnership with other federal, state, and local law enforcement, we are sending a clear message to those who inflict violence, feed drug addiction, or cause other harm to the people of our district: We will find you; we will prosecute you; and we will apply the full force of American justice.”  

“Nine MS-13 terrorists have been taken off our streets and four cold murder cases have been solved thanks to the great investigative work of the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Let this be a lesson: no matter how long it takes, we will never give up in our pursuit of justice.”

“This investigation reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to arrest dangerous criminals who threaten the safety of our citizens and our communities. Combating violent crime continues to be a top priority for the FBI and the Miami Field Office,” said Brett Skiles, acting Special Agent in Charge FBI Miami. “The FBI is grateful for its close collaboration with numerous local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners, whose combined efforts were essential to track down these violent suspects in South Florida, Central Florida, Kearney, Nebraska, Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Mexico City, Mexico. We commend our partners on their professionalism, diligence, and dedication to keeping our nation safe. However, the FBI and our law enforcement partners cannot do it alone. We ask the public to contact law enforcement if they have information about cold cases or any criminal activity. Two-way communication with our communities is vital to our work, and often holds the answers to solving crimes. Together, we will use all tools available and go to farthest reaches of the globe to bring to justice those who seek to endanger our citizens and society. We will not relent.”

“The heartless and brutal actions of these ruthless and violent criminals demonstrate a complete disregard for human life,” Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony said. “BSO’s Cold Case Homicide investigators, who worked closely with our federal partners, proved once again that justice has no expiration date. We owe it to the families of the victims and to this community to make sure the people who committed these heinous crimes are held accountable.”

Southern District of Florida Special Prosecutions Chief Brian Dobbins and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena Smukler are prosecuting these cases. FBI Miami and BSO investigated, with valuable assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Miami, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, NCIS Southeast Field Office, and Florida Department of Corrections.

The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that MS-13 is a violent transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador that operates throughout parts of the United States. MS-13 is a recognized terrorist organization.

This effort 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.

This matter is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

FBI and HSI have nationwide tip lines for individuals who wish to share information about the MS-13 gang and its activities. The FBI tipline is 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), and the HSI tipline is 1-866-DHS-2423

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 22-cr-60078 and 25-cr-20102.

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