Three MS-13 Members Plead Guilty to Nine Killings on Long Island
High-Ranking Members Admit to Brutal Murders
Three high-ranking members of the MS-13 street gang have pleaded guilty to their roles in nine killings involving machetes and guns in the New York City suburbs, federal prosecutors said.
Kevin Torres’ Guilty Plea
Kevin Torres, a 29-year-old resident of Freeport, pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Central Islip to racketeering charges for his role in the killings, which took place during a violent period for the transnational gang in New York from 2016 to 2017. Torres was the New York regional leader of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside, a Long Island-based clique of MS-13.
David Sosa-Guevara and Victor Lopez-Morales’ Guilty Pleas
David Sosa-Guevara, 33, and Victor Lopez-Morales, 36, both of Roosevelt, entered guilty pleas Thursday in Central Islip court. Prosecutors say Sosa-Guevara was the New York leader of the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas, another MS-13 clique that operated on Long Island, and Lopez-Morales had been a high-ranking member.
The Killings
Prosecutors say many of their victims were suspected members of rival gangs who were hacked to death with machetes and other weapons in secluded parks and wooded areas. Many of the bodies were dumped in shallow graves and weren’t discovered until months and years later. Among the victims were Samuel Martinez-Sandoval, Oscar Acosta, Kerin Pineda, Josue Amaya-Leonor, Marcus Bohannon, Javier Castillo, and Carlos Ventura-Zelaya, with the 2017 murders including the deaths of Angel Soler on Long Island and David Rivera in Maryland.
MS-13’s Motives
Prosecutors say the three admitted to committing the killings to boost their status in the gang and to further its mission. MS-13 is also known as Mara Salvatrucha and is believed to have been founded as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s by people fleeing civil war in El Salvador.
Reactions and Sentencing
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said, “These defendants carried out vicious and senseless violence to instill fear and assert their dominance. Today’s guilty pleas bring us one step closer to ridding this dangerous gang activity from Nassau County communities.” The three men each face a minimum of 40 years in prison under the terms of their plea agreements, with Sosa-Guevara and Torres facing up to 65 years in prison and Lopez-Morales facing a maximum of 60 years.
Conclusion
The guilty pleas of these three high-ranking MS-13 members bring a sense of closure to the families of the victims, but the impact of the gang’s violent activities will be felt for years to come. It is essential for law enforcement and the community to continue working together to combat gang activity and prevent further violence.
FAQs
* What is MS-13?
MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational gang that was founded as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s by people fleeing civil war in El Salvador.
* What was the motive behind the killings?
The three defendants admitted to committing the killings to boost their status in the gang and to further its mission.
* What is the sentencing for the defendants?
The three men each face a minimum of 40 years in prison under the terms of their plea agreements, with Sosa-Guevara and Torres facing up to 65 years in prison and Lopez-Morales facing a maximum of 60 years.
