Less than a week after being appointed acting Attorney General by President Donald Trump, Todd Blanche authorized the top federal prosecutor in California to seek the death penalty against three alleged MS-13 members accused of killing a victim who was cooperating with authorities.
Last May, prosecutors announced charges against Dennis Anaya Urias, Grevil Zelaya Santiago and Roberto Carlos Aguilar in the killing of a former MS-13 member who was assisting law enforcement in a federal racketeering and methamphetamine trafficking case.
According to affidavits filed with the complaints, Urias and Santiago shot the victim to death at a grocery store in South Los Angeles on Feb. 18. The victim's status as a government cooperator was widely known within MS-13 and made him the target of a "green light" order issued by the gang.
As noted by U.S. authorities, the victim had a chance encounter with Aguilar inside the store about an hour before the killing. Following that interaction, Aguilar set in motion a series of events that led to Urias and Santiago fatally shooting the victim.
In an April 8 memo obtained by The Washington Examiner, Blanche directed First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal Essayli to pursue the death penalty for all three alleged MS-13 members.
According to the outlet, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was removed from her role last week, delayed making a decision on whether to seek the death penalty, leaving the matter stuck in an administrative bottleneck.
A former federal prosecutor turned high-profile defense attorney, Blanche rose to national prominence as part of Trump's personal legal team before joining the administration as deputy attorney general in 2025. He quickly became one of the most visible figures inside the Department of Justice, overseeing major prosecutorial decisions and helping steer the department's priorities.
The charges carry a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison and make the defendants eligible for the death penalty if convicted. As noted by The Washington Examiner, making a final recommendation on the death penalty involves a thorough internal review process before it reaches the attorney general for a final determination.
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