What It's Really Like to Hunt MS-13. | Coming Up on Vegas Crime Files

A federal jury has convicted three MS-13 gang members for carrying out a brutal series of nine murders and multiple kidnappings in Nevada and California between late 2017 and early 2018.

Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo ("Molesto"), David Arturo Perez-Manchame ("Herbi"), and Joel Vargas-Escobar ("Momia") were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and numerous federal murder, kidnapping, and firearms charges. Prosecutors said the men were members of the Parkview clique, an MS-13 faction based in Las Vegas that used extreme violence to control territory and eliminate rival gang members.

Evidence showed the victims were often abducted from streets or nightclubs, driven to remote desert or mountain locations, and tortured before being stabbed or shot to death. One victim was stabbed more than 200 times, while another suffered more than 120 stab wounds.

Federal officials said the convictions are the result of a lengthy investigation involving the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The case was supported by Joint Task Force Vulcan, a Department of Justice initiative targeting violent transnational gangs such as MS-13.

All three defendants face mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole. Sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2026.

On the next epsiode of Vegas Crime Files, hear directly from the detective who spent an entire night on a cold mountain, guarding the body of an MS-13 victim.