6 members of international gang convicted in NC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Six members of an international gang have been convicted in North Carolina on crimes ranging from racketeering to murder to cocaine trafficking.

A federal jury in Charlotte convicted the defendants after five hours of deliberation Tuesday. Federal authorities have been watching the case closely since a 2008 sweep led to an indictment charging 26 people accused of participating in the MS-13 gang.

Assistant U.S. Attorney General Lanny Breuer says the gang brings lawlessness and fear into far too many U.S. communities. Authorities have said the gang has some 10,000 members in the
United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

The murder trial of another gang member is scheduled for April, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in that case.

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