US Attorney Capers Announces MS-13 Gang Members Indicted For 2016 Murder...

Thirteen members of the notorious gang MS-13 were charged on March 2 by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, with 41 crimes, including racketeering, seven murders, attempted murders, assaults, arson, and other illegal acts and, according to prosecutors, 10 of the 13 suspects are illegal aliens.

"This indictment has 13 defendants and 10 of those defendants are illegal aliens, who are not lawfully in the United States," said U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers during a March 2 press conference. "Two [of the 13 defendants] are U.S. citizens and one is a green card holder."

The murder charges included the killings of 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas in September 2016, and 18-year-old Jose Pena in June 2016. The victims were bludgeoned to death with baseball bats and cut and stabbed with knives and machetes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

“The brutal murders of Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas, and the savage killing of Jose Pena, allegedly committed by these defendants, exemplify the depravity of a gang whose primary mission is murder,” stated U.S. Attorney Capers.

“As the MS-13 continues its efforts to expand and entrench itself in our communities, both by sending gang members to illegally enter the United States from Central America, and by recruiting new members from our schools and neighborhoods, this Office and the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force will continue our mission to dismantle the MS-13 and free our neighborhoods from the terror they cause," said Capers.

Nisa Mickens, 15, left, and Kayla Cuevas, 16, who were murdered

by members of the MS-13 gang.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, "The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States, comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America.  With numerous branches, or 'cliques,' the MS-13 is the largest and most violent street gang on Long Island.  Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York."

The defendants named in the indictment -- two are not named because they are minors -- by the U.S. Attorney's Office are as follows:



EDWIN AMAYA-SANCHEZ (“Strong”)

Age:  29

Brentwood, New York

Illegal alien


WILLIAM CASTELLANOS (“Dizzy” and “Satanico”)

 Age:  20

Central Islip, New York

U.S. citizen



SELVIN CHAVEZ (“Flash”)

Age:  19

Brentwood, New York

Illegal alien



JOHNNY CONTRERAS (“Muerte,” “Reaper” and “Conejo”)

Age:  23

Brentwood, New York

U.S. citizen