Feds: MS-13 members charged in shooting that left man disabled
NEW YORK -- Federal authorities have arrested two alleged members of the notoriously violent MS-13 street gang and an associate in connection with an October 2016 shooting in Queens.
Jose Gonzalez, 18, Kevin Paniagua, 18, and Francisco Ramos, 23, were arrested on charges of assault, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and firearms charges. Efforts to reach their lawyers for comment were not immediately successful.
Prosecutors alleged that Gonzalez and Paniagua are both MS-13 members, while Ramos is an associate, reports CBS New York.
Prosecutors say the Queens men beat another man on Oct. 23 because they believed he was a member of one of MS-13's chief rivals, the 18th Street gang.
One of the men also allegedly shot the victim in the head. He allegedly attempted to shoot him again but the gun jammed. Prosecutors say the victim is now a paraplegic.
READ: Mounting alarm over MS-13 street gang as feds crack down
The FBI says violence is a "way of life" for MS-13, which is headquartered in El Salvador and has about 10,000 members in the U.S.
"As alleged in the complaint, the defendants were members and an associate of MS-13, an international gang known for its culture of murder," Acting Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Bridget Rohde said in a news release. "They sought to spread fear throughout the community by attempting to kill an individual they suspected to be a rival gang member."
The defendants had their initial appearance Wednesday before Brooklyn U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak.
