5th MS-13 gang member arrested after informant found hacked to death, police say

HOUSTON – A fifth member of the MS-13 gang was arrested in connection with the death of a police informant whose body was found in Cullinan Park nearly three months ago, according to authorities.

Houston police announced Wednesday that Francisco Antonio Rodriguez-Ulloa, 20, is the latest person in the case to be charged with murder. 

Marlon Miranda, 19; Wilson Ventura-Mejia, 22; Miguel Aguilar-Ochoa, 33 and Carlos Henriquez-Torres, 18, were each charged with murder in the June 6 death of 25-year-old Victor Castro-Martinez. Police said charges were pending on one other person that has been arrested in connection with a different case.

According to court documents, Castro-Martinez was working as a police informant and was wearing a recording device when he was taken to the southwest Houston park under false pretenses. Castro-Martinez sent his handling officer a text with his location, which was the last communication he sent to the officer, according to the documents.

MUGSHOTS: MS-13 gang members arrested after informant found hacked to death, police say

Investigators said in the documents that Castro-Marinez’s body was found during a search of the park the morning of June 7. He had been hacked to death with a machete, investigators said.

A recording device that had been given to Castro-Martinez by his handling officer was found in his pocket, according to the court documents.

Cellphone records of people who were already under police surveillance helped narrow down people who were in the park with Castro-Martinez when he was killed, according to the documents.

These arrests were part of a larger operation aimed at combating gang violence in the Houston region. Click here to read more about that operation.