FRESNO - Denis Barrera-Palma, 27, of Mendota, was sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, to 10 years and one month in prison for assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Barrera-Palma was the leader in Mendota of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a violent criminal street gang that engages in racketeering activity, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. On May 14, 2018, Barrera-Palma, along with others, assaulted another individual with a pipe in front of an elementary school in Mendota in order to gain entrance to, or maintain or increase his status within MS-13. On Feb. 28, 2020, Barrera‑Palma pleaded guilty to the charges.
Barrera-Palma was also the leader of MS-13’s drug trafficking conspiracy in Mendota. MS-13 engaged in street level drug sales to fund various of the gang’s criminal activities. The gang, through Barrera-Palma, would acquire drugs, and distribute them out among members with a directive that they sell the drugs within a certain period of time and return all proceeds to the gang. Those proceeds would then be used for a variety of purposes, including funding trips to obtain drugs or commit acts of violence, putting money on the books of incarcerated MS-13 members, sending money to MS-13 members in El Salvador, and obtaining more narcotics to sell.
The investigation began after reports that MS-13 had established a presence in and around Mendota, a Central Valley town 35 miles west of Fresno. Investigators found evidence of broad criminal activity, including murder, assault, firearms possession and drug trafficking activity. In August 2018, 25 individuals associated with MS-13 were arrested on federal and state charges in connection with their gang activities, including assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. All 15 of Barrera-Palma’s federal co-defendants have been sentenced.
The investigation was conducted by the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Services Unit (SSU). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted this case. Senior Deputy District Attorney Dennis Lewis is working with the team and prosecuting related cases in Fresno County Superior Court.
