The U.S. Department of Justice this week declined to seek the death penalty against two alleged members of the MS-13 gang who were indicted last year on federal racketeering charges, lawyers said Wednesday.
The Justice Department had deemed Miguel Alvarado-Linares, also known as "Joker," and Ernesto Escobar, known as "Pink Panther," eligible for the death penalty. But after a review, the agency declined to pursue it, federal defender Jeff Ertel, who represents Alvarado-Linares, and Escobar's lawyer, Michael Trost, said. The indictment accuses 26 alleged MS-13 members of indiscriminate violence in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties, including seven slayings dating back to October 2006.
"They made the right choice," Ertel said of the decision. All federal death-penalty prosecutions must be approved by the U.S. attorney general, he noted.
MS-13, a street gang whose credo is “rape, kill, control.” has its origins in Los Angeles. Known for a ruthless, twisted version of camaraderie and earned respect, MS-13 is one of the nation’s fastest-growing street gangs, with hybrid versions metastasizing across the county to suburban regions like Tucker, Norcross and Lawrenceville. Their criminal enterprise, it appears, revolves around projecting an aura of the gang, not making money.
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