Three members of the notorious MS-13 gang have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for their involvement in a string of murders, and attempted murders in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
The three men were convicted by a Santa Barbara jury of multiple murder charges, as well as other counts. Prosecutors say the trio is part of a group of gang members responsible for nine murders, and 14 attempted murders in the region.
The three men received life without the possibility of parole sentences totaling 200 years or more.
In 2016, more than a dozen suspected MS-13 gang members were arrested in connection with the string of violent attacks in the region. This week’s sentencing comes on top of the conviction, and sentencing in Santa Maria of five other members of the gang. All five received life without the possibility of parole sentences, with the sentences topping 200 plus years behind bars.