HOUSTON - Eight El Salvadorian citizens living in Houston illegally have pleaded guilty to charges related to a racketeering conspiracy involving multiple murders and witness tampering.

They are accused of being members of the notorious transnational criminal organization Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

MS-13 members plead guilty in large-scale racketeering conspiracy

Walter Antonio Chicas-Garcia, Wilson Jose Ventura-Mejia, Miguel Angel Aguilar-Ochoa, and Marlon Miranda-Moran entered plea deals on Tuesday.

Luis Ernesto Carbajal-Peraza, Edgardo Martinez-Rodriguez, Carlos Alexi Garcia-Gongora, and Wilman Rivas-Guido also pleaded guilty to their roles in the racketeering conspiracy on Aug. 11.

The backstory:

As part of their p

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