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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
A known MS-13 gang member who entered the U.S. illegally was sentenced on Friday to more than 11 years in prison after being arrested for the 2023 kidnapping and torture of a witness who previously testified against MS-13 members in federal court.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 27-year-old Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte and other MS-13 gang members kidnapped the former witness at gunpoint at a Nashville laundromat on November 5, 2023.
Earlier in the year, the witness had testified against several gang members who had allegedly tried to shoot him and threatened to kill him because of a dispute over drugs.
The victim was kept in a truck for several hours and was assaulted with a gun, a hammer, and a machete as Santos-Recarte and others repeatedly asked him why he agreed to testify against them and threatened to kill him.
After eventually escaping, the victim called for help and was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for bone fractures, internal bleeding, and kidney damage.
Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, said, “This violence and obstruction of the American legal system is core MS-13 conduct and exemplifies why MS-13 has been designated a foreign terrorist organization. The Department remains focused on eliminating this organization. There is more to come. Thank you to the prosecutors, ATF, and our local law enforcement partners for their relentless pursuit of justice.”
Santos-Recarte pleaded guilty in December 2024 to kidnapping, retaliation against a federal witness, unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and conspiracy. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson to a total of 135 months in jail and will be deported to Honduras after serving his sentence.
Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Nashville Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said, “Witness intimidation is a serious federal offense and anyone who retaliates against a government witness will be held fully accountable under the law. ATF remains committed to working alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and diminish the presence and influence of these dangerous and deadly criminal organizations in the communities that we serve.”
