Current:Home > FinanceMS-13 leader pleads guilty in case involving 8 murders, including 2 girls killed on Long Island -AssetBase
MS-13 leader pleads guilty in case involving 8 murders, including 2 girls killed on Long Island
View
Date:2025-04-16 23:42:27
A leader of an MS-13 gang clique in New York pleaded guilty Wednesday to racketeering and firearms charges in a case involving eight murders, including the 2016 killings of two high school girls who were hacked and beaten to death as they strolled through their leafy, suburban neighborhood on Long Island.
Alexi Saenz entered the plea in federal court in Central Islip and faces 40 to 70 years in prison. Prosecutors previously withdrew their intent to seek the death penalty in his case.
The 29-year-old will be sentenced on Jan. 31 next year. He was originally indicted in 2017 in the Eastern District of New York.
Eight other MS-13 members who were part of two cliques of the gang were charged in 2020 for six murders and other crimes on Long Island.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Saenz spoke sparingly through a Spanish interpreter as the judge asked him a series of yes and no questions about the plea deal and the crimes he was admitting to.
Saenz said in a statement read out by his lawyer that he had ordered or approved the killings of rival gang members and other people who had disrespected or feuded with members of his clique.
Among those were the killings of Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15, lifelong friends and classmates at Brentwood High School who were killed with a machete and a baseball bat.
In 2020, former U.S. Attorney General William Barr filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Saenz. Jairo Saenz, the brother of Alexi, also faces charges that are still pending.
MS-13 was formed in the U.S. in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing the civil war in El Salvador. The gang is "notorious for its use of violence to achieve its objectives," according to the Department of Justice.
- In:
- MS-13
- William Barr
- Long Island
- New York
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- The Token Revolution of DB Wealth Institute: Launching DBW Token to Fund and Enhance 'AI Financial Navigator 4.0' Investment System
- Golf course employee dies after being stung by swarm of bees in Arizona
- Save Up to 75% on Early Amazon Prime Day Deals: Tempur-Pedic Mattress Toppers, Amazon Fire Sticks & More
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Cillian Miller's Journey in Investment and Business
- Olivia Munn's Newsroom Costar Sam Waterston Played This Special Role in Her Wedding to John Mulaney
- 'After Baywatch' docuseries will feature never-aired footage of famed '90s lifeguard stars
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Is this overlanding camper van the next step for the legendary Mitsubishi Delica?
Ranking
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Man sentenced to 4-plus years in death of original ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ cast member
- Is inflation still cooling? Thursday’s report on June prices will provide clues
- JFK's only grandson is doing political coverage for this outlet. It's not a surprise
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Scarlett Johansson says 'Poor Things' gave her hope for 'Fly Me to the Moon'
- Free Slurpee Day: On Thursday, 7/11, you can get a free frozen drink at 7-Eleven. Here's how.
- Blake Lively Reveals the “Best Compliment” She’s Received in Her Life
Recommendation
Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
England vs. Netherlands highlights: Ollie Watkins goal at the death sets up Euro 2024 final
Copa America 2024: Everything you need to know about the Argentina vs. Colombia final
Gun and ammunition evidence is the focus as Alec Baldwin trial starts second day
Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
Report: NBA media rights deal finalized with ESPN, Amazon, NBC. What to know about megadeal
Firefighting pilot killed in small plane crash in Montana
Man fatally shot at Yellowstone National Park threatened mass shooting, authorities say