Jaime Ricardo Guzman, 25, formerly of Rockville, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus to 2 years in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported. Judge Titus found that the defendant’s membership in the violent street gang “La Mara Salvatrucha” also known as “MS-13,” warranted an upward departure from the federal sentencing guidelines.
“As this case demonstrates, we are using all available tools to prosecute members of violent gangs and stop them from spreading violence in our neighborhoods,” U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said.
“Gang members are a menace to society and pose serious threats to our communities. We work closely with our law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute these individuals and, when possible, remove them from the United States,” said Mark Bastan Acting Special Agent In Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, (ICE).
According to information presented to the court on April 21, at Guzman’s guilty plea hearing, Fairfax and Prince William County police officers arrested Guzman at a regional meeting of MS-13 gang members in Northern Virginia on January 26, 2003. Guzman admitted that he was an active MS-13 member and a citizen of El Salvador who had illegally entered the United States in 1999Guzman was deported to El Salvador on April 25, 2003.
After returning to the United States, Guzman regularly attended meetings of MS-13 at which numerous acts of violence committed by other gang members were discussed and planned. On July 29, 2005, Guzman was charged in Montgomery County with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and making a false statement to a police officer. Montgomery County officials deferred to federal prosecution, and Guzman was taken into federal custody on August 4, 2005. Guzman has numerous tattoos signifying his membership in MS-13, where he is known by the gang name of “Spider.”