Carlos Ramirez, also known as “Guerra,” was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a racketeering conspiracy and two murders committed as a member of the Sunset Trinitarios gang. The sentencing took place after Ramirez was found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman.
“As a member of the Sunset Trinitarios, Carlos Ramirez was an unapologetic killer and responsible for brutal violence that endangered the lives of far more people than the two teenagers whom he murdered in 2013 and 2014,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “After he was arrested and charged for these crimes, he was undeterred and attempted to stab to death the former leader of his own gang in a gruesome and vicious attack while incarcerated. He will never walk the streets of New York again, and this Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bankrupt the cartels, dismantle the gangs, and remove from our streets all those who pursue death and violence as a way of life.”
Court documents showed that from 2010 to 2024, members of the Sunset Trinitarios gang carried out numerous violent acts across New York City, including murders, attempted murders, and armed robberies. Ramirez held several leadership roles within the gang both on the street and while incarcerated in state and federal facilities.
On October 23, 2013, Ramirez participated in the murder of seventeen-year-old Michael Beltre by restraining him so another gang member could shoot him multiple times on a Bronx street. On November 2, 2014, Ramirez shot nineteen-year-old Jordanny Correa at close range inside an apartment in the Bronx.
While detained at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on February 28, 2023, Ramirez tried to kill a former leader of his own gang because he believed this person had cooperated with law enforcement. With assistance from others, Ramirez slashed and stabbed the victim multiple times.
Ten other members or co-conspirators from Sunset Trinitarios have previously pleaded guilty; their sentences have ranged from several years up to life imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton commended investigative efforts by agencies including the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and New York City Department of Correction.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas John Wright, Brandon D. Harper, and Timothy Ly from the Violent and Organized Crime Unit.
