ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say they have indicted 13 members of the MS-13 street gang on charges related to three slayings in northern Virginia in the last year.
The indictments were unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. All face murder or murder conspiracy charges, and 11 of the 13 face a possible death sentence.
Seven of the 13 are Falls Church residents. Others live in Richmond, Arlington and Alexandria, or have unknown addresses. The defendants range in age from 18 to 30.
Prosecutors say two of the slayings occurred in Fairfax County, while a third occurred in Alexandria.
MS-13, a gang with roots in El Salvador, has been operating in the region for 20 years, and has been targeted in recent years by federal and local law enforcement.
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