BEAUMONT, Texas — Juan Carlos Rivas-Moreiera pleaded guilty on July 2, 2024, for his role in a racketeering conspiracy related to the violent transnational criminal organization MS-13 according to Davilyn Walston of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Back in April 2022, seven defendants, including Rivas-Moreiera, were indicted and charged with the planning and execution of a violent attack orchestrated by members of MS-13 against Mexican Mafia and Sureños associates that resulted in two deaths in Beaumont's Federal Prison.
On January 31, 2022, seven MS-13 members imprisoned at the U.S. Penitentiary in Beaumont attacked multiple Sureños members and one Mexican Mafia associate.
Rivas-Moreiera began the prison attack when he approached Guillermo Riojas and stabbed Riojas twice in the chest.
Rojas immediately collapsed, then the rest of the MS-13 members fell upon him, brutally kicking and stabbing the man until he lay motionless on the ground.
The MS-13 defendants then chased, cornered, beat, and repeatedly stabbed Andrew Pineda, and other Sureños members.
The prison attack lasted approximately three minutes and Riojas and Pineda died as a result of the attack.
This fight between the gangs resulted in a nationwide lockdown of all inmates in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for almost a week.
Defendants Rivas-Moreiera, Alfaro-Granado, and Landaverde-Giron are all serving sentences of life imprisonment for their participation in MS-13 and committing murder in aid of racketeering in furtherance of MS-13.
Defendant Ramires is also serving a sentence of 27 years in federal prison following his conviction for participating in MS-13 and committing a murder on behalf of the gang.
Rivas-Moreiera admitted to his role in the deadly prison attack and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He was the last remaining defendant to plead guilty.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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