Las Vegas police said Monday the MS-13 gang has been responsible for 10 murders in the past year in Southern Nevada.
Police said five suspects, including one juvenile, have been arrested in the murders after the last one occurred on March 2. The first one occurred in March of last year. The murders were linked through forensic evidence.
The victims died of shooting and stabbing injuries. Six of the 10 victims were kidnapped before police said they were murdered on the outskirts of town.
Sheriff Joe Lombardo called the suspects "extremely violent."
The discovery of two bodies at Frenchman Mountain within a short period of time helped tip police off after the body was determined to be a MS-13 gang member.
The victims have been identified as Daniel Clark, Richard Gaudio, Carlos Pachaca-Rodriguez, Arquimidez Sandoval-Martinez, Juan Carlos Estrada Raya, Jose Hernandez, Ricardo Olivas, Izzak Towery, Earl Ryan and Rony Fuentes.
In addition to the ones near Frenchman Mountain, three of the murders occurred near Mount Charleston, while others occurred near Arville Street and Oakey Boulevard, Bonanza and Sandhill roads, Charleston and Nellis boulevards and Charleston Boulevard and Palm Street.
Map of homicides connected to the MS-13 mass murder investigation @KTNVpic.twitter.com/BM1BYuN2Kd
— Joe Bartels (@Joe_Bartels) March 26, 2018
The suspects are believed to be in the United States illegally. All of the suspects are being held on federal immigration crimes and several other charges. They have not yet been identified.
Police believe there are 50 MS-13 members documented living in or around the Las Vegas valley. Lombardo said MS-13 does not have a large footprint in the valley.
Las Vegas police are working with law enforcement partners in the California cities of Fresno and Los Angeles, where the gang has a larger presence.
18 firearms have been recovered with 8 of them stolen in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's jurisdiction and one in Henderson police's jurisdiction.
Watch LVMPD's press conference below.
