Current:Home > NewsMS-13 leader pleads guilty in case involving 8 murders, including 2 girls killed on Long Island -DollarDynamic
MS-13 leader pleads guilty in case involving 8 murders, including 2 girls killed on Long Island
View
Date:2025-04-12 11:51:29
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! (128)
Related
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- AI startup Perplexity wants to upend search business. News outlet Forbes says it’s ripping them off
- The Sphere in Las Vegas really is a 'quantum leap' for live music: Inside the first shows
- 2024 US Open leaderboard, scores, highlights: Rory McIlroy tied for lead after first round
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- Starbucks introduces value meals with new 'Pairings Menu'
- 6 minors charged in 15-year-old boy's drowning death in Georgia
- Vietnam War veteran comes out as gay in his obituary, reveals he will be buried next to the love of my life
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Taylor Swift performs 'I Can See You' in Liverpool where she shot the music video
Ranking
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Telehealth CEO charged in alleged $100 million scheme to provide easy access to Adderall, other stimulants
- It's the most Joy-ful time of the year! 🥰
- New Jersey casino and sports betting revenue was nearly $510 million in May, up 8.3%
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- It's the most Joy-ful time of the year! 🥰
- Report finds Colorado was built on $1.7 trillion of land expropriated from tribal nations
- Deadliest Catch Star Nick Mavar Dead at 59 in Medical Emergency
Recommendation
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Heavy rain continues flooding South Florida: See photos
Kate Middleton Shares First Photo Since Detailing Cancer Diagnosis
Florida A&M, a dubious donor and $237M: The transformative HBCU gift that wasn’t what it seemed
Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
Who is Alex Jones? The conspiracist and dietary supplement salesman built an empire over decades
Biden, Meloni meet on sidelines of G7 summit but one notable matter wasn’t on the table: abortion
Ditch Your Heavy Foundation for These Tinted Moisturizers & Tinted Sunscreens This Summer