WASHINGTON—Two dozen members of the violent MS-13 gang have been charged in a New York federal district court with three additional murders on top of 12 they’ve already been charged with, according to a report by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Kevin Torres, the leader of the Sailors clique of MS-13 in New York, and Alexi Saenz, the leader of the Brentwood, Long Island, chapter of the Sailors clique, authorized the murder of Oscar Acosta because he was suspected of being a rival 18th Street gang member, the DOJ said on June 7.
On April 29, 2016, Acosta was beaten with tree limbs and then tied up while other gang members were called.
“The gang members loaded Acosta into the trunk of a car, drove to a more isolated wooded area in Brentwood, stabbed and slashed Acosta to death with a machete and buried his body, which was not recovered until September 2016,” the DOJ said.
The two other murder victims, Javier Castillo and Dewann Stacks, were allegedly killed by the group in October 2016 because they were suspected gang rival members.
The defendants are charged with 12 other murders spanning from 2013 through 2017, including the slayings of Brentwood teens Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens in September 2016.
A memorial springs up at Recreation Village Town Park near where the bodies of four young men were found in Central Islip, N.Y., on April 12, 2017. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times
President Donald Trump brought the parents of the two girls to his State of the Union address in January.
The president has been outspoken about MS-13, calling them “animals” in multiple speeches.
“MS-13 gang members are truly—and you’ve heard me say it—animals. And yet Nancy Pelosi and Washington Democrats continue to protect them and to push for open borders,” Trump said on June 16 in his weekly address.
“Just weeks ago, an illegal MS-13 gang member was arrested for allegedly murdering a man and burning his body. The gang member reportedly entered our country through glaring loopholes for unaccompanied alien minors.
“Washington Democrats voted against Kate’s Law, they voted against legislation to deport gang members, and they voted for sanctuary cities where these violent criminals hide.”
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Charlotte Cuthbertson
Senior Reporter
Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers border security and the opioid crisis.
