A new addition to the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list in Texas is a MS-13 gang member.
Rodrigo Flores, 34, is wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault of a family or household member with a previous conviction.
He’s also been charged in the past with forgery, possession of marijuana, and unauthorized absence from a community correction facility, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which maintains the list.
“Subject should be considered ARMED and DANGEROUS!” it stated.
Mugshots of Flores show his face heavily tattooed with MS-13 and related tattoos and authorities say he’s a member of the notorious gang.
Short for Mara Salvatrucha, the gang has become infamous for its brutal killing methods, including beheadings.
After Salvadoran immigrants who formed the gang fled to Los Angeles during the civil war in El Salvador, “the gang became increasingly violent—drawing upon the Salvadoran wartime experiences of its members and their cultural use of the machete—to protect its members from Mexican-American street gangs and their rival, the hybrid 18th Street gang,” Robert J. Bunker, an adjunct research professor at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College, told The Epoch Times.
“MS-13 has created a brand—like Los Zetas in Mexico—based on its reputation for engaging in unspeakable acts of brutality using machete and knife attacks against those that cross it,” Bunker added.
“This barbaric reputation greatly aids the gang in its collection of street taxes from local merchants and helps it to protect its turf and drug trade against opposing gangs who are afraid to face the ‘street terrorism’ it can wage against them.”
Among recent crimes allegedly committed by MS-13: six members conspired to kill another member they believed was cooperating with law enforcement, and five members allegedly stabbed another member 100 times before dumping his body.
Another Fugitive
Flores, the Texas fugitive was described as a Hispanic male standing 5 foot 7 inches and weighing 180 pounds.
He goes by a range of names, including “Rigo,” “Scrappy,” and Rodrigo Moran.
Another MS-13 member was also on the Texas Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list.
Carlos Alberto Gonzalez-Barahona, 28, is wanted for murder and aggravated kidnapping.
Other alleged crimes included burglary and illegal entry into the United States after deportation, which is a felony.
Gonzalez-Barahona should also be considered armed and dangerous, authorities warned.
They noted that the gang member also has a range of tattoos, including “Texas” on the back of his upper right arm and “Salvador” on his abdomen.
Gonzalez-Barahona is accused of killing his girlfriend Martiza Lopez, 25, in the summer of 2017. She had a young baby girl at the time.
Blanca Lopez, Martiza’s mother, who now takes care of the baby, told KTRK that she lives in fear that the alleged killer will show up again.
“He’s a dangerous guy, also. I fear for my safety,” she said.
In November 2018, the reward for information leading to the arrest of Gonzalez-Barahona was increased to $10,000, reported The (Huntsville) Item.
The increased reward was offered in the hopes that it would generate additional tips but it was only good for November. As of late March, Gonzalez-Barahona was still on the loose.
