Vega was arrested in December 2019 as part of a sweep of 62 suspected members of the gang. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Hector Vega was known to his associates as “King Demon.” He led one of the gang’s tribunals known as the “Crown Council” and ordered the savage beatings of two gang members, the statement said on Tuesday.
“Evidence developed during the investigation included recordings of Vega presiding over a Latin Kings “trial” against two Massachusetts members who had violated rules of the gang,” it said.
The regional leadership of the Latin Kings had chosen Vega and the Connecticut Crown Council as the judges for the trial in order for the hearing to be unbiased. After hearing evidence from members, the Crown Council found the two members guilty of violating the gang’s rules and ordered the beatings of both members, which were captured on recording. Vega participated in the assault of one of the members, the DOJ said.
Vega was arrested in December 2019 as part of a sweep of 62 suspected members of the gang. He is the thirteenth to plead guilty.
Five other members also plead guilty this week, including Juan “King Pun” Figouera, a musician who made propaganda videos for the gang and admitted to taking part in a 2019 shooting on the gang’s behalf, Pierre Forest, who trafficked drugs and guns for the gang’s Chicago chapter, and Matthew “King Nene” Palacios, who served as an enforcer for the gang’s Boston chapter known as the Devon Street Kings or D5K.
“The Latin Kings are a violent gang comprised of thousands of members across the United States,” said the statement, “The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the criminal organization.”
