MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Jose Eduardo Avalos, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release for illegal re-entry into the United States after conviction of an aggravated felony.

Avalos, an El Salvadoran national, pleaded guilty on May 21, 2015. According to court documents, Avalos joined the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) criminal gang at age 13, and has identified his rank within the gang as a “nation leader”.  He has illegally entered the United States three times, and has twice been removed following criminal convictions. His first removal in 2004 came after a being convicted of carnal knowledge of a child 13 to 15 years old; while his second removal came in 2011 after being convicted of illegal re-entry and possession of a stolen firearm. Avalos will be removed from the U.S. for a third time following the completion of his prison sentence.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Yvonne Evans, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.  Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys William A. Glaser and Nima R.T. Binara prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-138

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