Herlyn Barrientos is unhappy to meet his gang members in the produce section of his local grocery store.
Barrientos is the head and face of a burly man with a tattoo, and is MS-13, a group notorious for its savage killings. Federal prosecutors accused the Honduras national nicknamed “Doctorazo” and provided methamphetamine to members of MS-13 in Los Angeles who sold the drug and kicked the gang's imprisoned leader up.
Barrientos, accused of drug trafficking in 2023, decided to open his gang and work with the FBI. A judge signed the sign when he was released from prison, and Barrientos, 47, returned to South Los Angeles.
Surveillance footage shows that MS-13 members killed one of their own Herlyn Barrientos, who has become an informant of the FBI.
(U.S. District Court)
Federal prosecutors announced Friday that three prominent MS-13 members were charged with killing Barrientos on orders from gang leaders.
The Barrientos deal should have remained secret, but the FBI now says Barrientos' status as an informant is “very well known”, questioning why he still lived in his old neighborhood when he was killed on February 18.
A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment.
Before his death, Barrientos called FBI agents to report the affidavit read. Agents said he was on the phone with Barrientos when he was shot.
“It's a terrible thing,” said Michael Crain, the attorney representing the drug trafficking case in Barrientos. Crain declined to comment further.
The affidavit says there is evidence that the clear Barrientos was killed because he was cooperating.
After his death, another FBI informant named Barrientos' leader in the MS-13 group, said the gang's people were instructing him: “They told me I had to clean up my trash, do you understand?”
The affidavit says: “This work cannot be refused.”
FBI special agent Joseph Carelli drove to Figueroa and the fine grocery store on 91st Street around 7 p.m. on the last day of his life, he wrote in his affidavit.
A black SUV follows Barrientos into the parking lot. The three walked out of the SUV and entered the store. In the produce area, Carelli wrote, they appeared to have exchanged greetings with Barrientos, citing videos of the store’s camera.
Roberto Carlos Aguilar was photographed by the FBI and attended a memorial service for members of MS-13.
(U.S. District Court)
One of three men identified by Carelli as Roberto Carlos Aguilar, walked away and started making a phone call. A spokesman for the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's Office said Aguilar was an El Salvador national who entered the United States illegally.
Carelli wrote that Aguilar and Barrientos talked in the grocery store parking lot for about 30 minutes. During that time, Aguilar received two calls. One of them is from Dennis Anaya Urias, a permanent resident of U.S. law, and a prominent member of Bagos Clique of MS-13, according to a spokesperson for Carelli and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Carelli wrote that Barrientos is also from Bagos Clique, a subset of MS-13.
Agents said T-Mobile records showed Urias' phone from South Korea town to around 5:50, when the surveillance camera showed a grey Honda CR-V park across the store.
Meanwhile, Aguilar walked down, Barrientos called 911. Barrientos said the suspect was wearing black and his face was covered with handkerchiefs.
Roberto Carlos Aguilar from MS-13 Central Group
(U.S. District Court)
Barrientos then called his handler Carelli. He told the agent that a man with his face covering was just trying to shoot him, but the gun was not extinguished.
Carelli heard gunfire as they spoke. Barrientos stopped responding. He wrote that agents heard the voices of police and other first responders in the backstage.
A month later, California Highway Patrol officers found the CR-V in North Hollywood, Carelli wrote. The agent believes the car is shown in surveillance videos powered by Barrientos killers.
Carelli wrote that Urias was arrested on May 12, with his phone records showing he was from Koreatown to South La before the shooting, and told the prison informant that the order to kill Barrientos was “directly from the top”.
Urias said he and another MS-13 member, Grevil Zelaya Santiago, received a call from Aguilar, who said he had found the “prostitute's son”.
Carelli wrote that Urias said he and Zelaya headed to South La in CR-V to cover their faces and shot Barrientos as dead.
Attorneys for Urias and Zelaya did not immediately return a request for comment. It is not clear who represents Aguilar.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder.
