Project Mermaid: MS-13 Gang Members Charged as Imprisoned Hitman Directs Human Trafficking Ring via Cellphone

MISSISSAUGA — A convicted gangland hitman serving a 14-year sentence for attempted murder successfully operated an exploitation network from inside a federal penitentiary, directing human trafficking and extortion across the Greater Toronto Area using contraband mobile devices.

The alarming security breach was formally unsealed under “Project Mermaid”—a multi-agency investigation led by the Peel Regional Police Vice and Human Trafficking Unit, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), and the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). The probe targeted two high-ranking operatives associated with the transnational street gang **MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha)**.

The Schomberg Hitman & Contraband Prison Network

The primary conspirator inside the federal prison system was identified as 30-year-old **Carlos Gutierrez**. Gutierrez is currently serving a 14-year federal sentence for his role in a notorious 2023 gangland hit. In that incident, Gutierrez was one of three contract killers hired by an organized crime syndicate to execute a rival in Schomberg, Ontario—instead shooting an innocent 65-year-old dog walker 13 times in a case of mistaken identity.

According to Peel Vice investigators, Gutierrez obtained unauthorized cellular devices that were operated across at least two separate CSC correctional facilities. From his cell, Gutierrez coordinated directly with street-level co-conspirator **Marcos Ariel Marinoni (42)** of Mississauga to recruit, intimidate, and sexually exploit a female victim across multiple GTA coordinates, systematically seizing the financial proceeds.

Dismantling MS-13 Infrastructure

The arrests deal a blow to local cells of MS-13, which was officially designated a terrorist entity by the Canadian government in 2025. Investigators believe the financial yields extracted from human trafficking were being funneled back into gangland treasuries to fund legal defense funds and contraband procurement.

“This investigation highlights the dangerous reach of organized crime, even from within correctional institutions,” Det. Sgt. Bob Hackenbrook confirmed. “Using intimidation and illicit communications, these individuals exploited a vulnerable victim for financial gain. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement and correctional partners to hold them accountable.”