Two National MS-13 Gang Leaders and Two Other MS-13 Members Convicted of Racketeering Charges and Murders in Queens and on Long Island

Today a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against national MS-13 leaders Edenilson Velasquez Larin, also known as “Agresor,” Saturno,” “Tiny,” and “Paco,”; Hugo Diaz Amaya, also known as “21”; Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (Fulton) clique leader Jose Espinoza Sanchez, also known as “Cable,” “Bleca,” and “Fantasma”; and Fulton member Jose Arevalao Iraheta, also known as “Splinter,” “Inesperado,” and “Daniel.” The four defendants were convicted on 24 counts of a third superseding indictment.  The verdict followed a 10-week trial before United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.  When sentenced, each of the defendants face a mandatory term of life in prison.

Specifically, Velasquez Larin was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the fatal machete attack of 18-year-old Kenny Reyes, continuing criminal enterprise, murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Victor Alvarenga, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the shooting at an individual referred to in the indictment as John Doe 1, murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with fatal shooting of 25-year-old Eric Monge, money laundering conspiracy, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the shooting of an individual referred to in the indictment as John Doe 2, and murder in-aid-of racketeering related to the fatal machete attack of 20-year-old Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano, as well as additional murder conspiracies and firearms offenses.

Diaz Amaya was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and conspiracy to commit murder in-aid-of racketeering related to the fatal machete attack of Gutierrez Medrano.

Espinoza Sanchez was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the fatal machete attack of Reyes, murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the fatal shooting of Alvarenga, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the shooting at John Doe 1, and murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with fatal shooting of Monge, money laundering conspiracy, as well as additional murder conspiracies and firearms offenses.

Arevalo Iraheta was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, attempted murder in-aid-of racketeering in connection with the shooting at John Doe 1, causing the death of Monge through use of a firearm, and murder in-aid-of racketeering related to the fatal machete attack of Gutierrez Medrano, as well as additional murder conspiracies and firearms offenses.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.

“With today’s verdict, four extremely dangerous MS-13 members have been brought to justice for racketeering crimes including murder and now, deservedly, face mandatory life sentences,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “Two of the defendants were national MS-13 leaders who were responsible for authorizing murders on behalf of the gang across the country and each of the defendants participated in heinous murders, including some in which victims were hacked to death and dismembered.  The outstanding work of our prosecutors, along with members of the FBI, HSI and the NYPD, underscores this Office’s continuing efforts to make our communities safer by dismantling violent and bloodthirsty gangs, and we will not relent in our efforts until they are eradicated.”

Mr. Nocella thanked the Nassau County Police Department and the Suffolk County Police Department for their investigative work.

“Today, the bloody reign of four MS-13 members, including two national leaders, has come to an end. These defendants orchestrated and facilitated the cold-blooded murders of four perceived rivals to simply increase their own social standing,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Their propensity for extreme violence and their depravity of human life threatened the safety of anyone who crossed their path. Alongside our federal, state, and local partners, the FBI maintains its resolute determination to eradicate all violent gangs terrorizing our communities with their callous lawlessness.”

“Today’s convictions of Edenilson Velasquez Larin and Hugo Diaz Amaya—who directed MS-13’s brutal and ruthlessly savage violence —reflect the seriousness of their crimes and the terror they inflicted on our communities,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel.  “By holding these individuals accountable, we have stripped them of the violent power and influence they once wielded. The eradication of gang violence on Long Island and throughout the state remains a top priority for HSI New York and our law enforcement partners, and these convictions mark significant progress toward dismantling these criminal organizations from the top down. No stone will be left unturned in our relentless pursuit of justice for the victims of MS-13.”

“These verdicts send a clear message: The NYPD will stop at nothing to identify, dismantle, and hold accountable any street gang that terrorizes our neighborhoods with violence,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “These leaders and members of the notorious MS-13 crew carried out acts of extreme brutality — murdering their victims in cold blood and dismembering their bodies — and they are now facing justice. I am grateful to the NYPD investigators, as well as our law enforcement partners at HSI, the FBI, and the prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their meticulous work on this case.”

The U.S. Program

As proved at trial, MS-13 is a violent street gang operating through “cliques” or chapters in Queens, Long Island and communities across the United States, as well as El Salvador, Honduras, and other countries in the Americas and Europe.  The gang primarily makes money through drug trafficking and extortion, and is known for its gruesome murders of perceived gang rivals and gang members and associates who have violated the gang’s rules.  MS-13 has been responsible for dozens of murders in the Eastern District of New York alone.

Since approximately 2021, virtually all MS-13 cliques in the United States have been united under a single hierarchy known as the “U.S. Program.”  The U.S. Program is led by a group of senior gang leaders, most of whom are incarcerated, known as “La Mesa” or “The Table.”  La Mesa, among other roles, authorizes and directs murders throughout the country, including in New York.  Prior to, and at the time of, their arrests, Velasquez Larin and Diaz Amaya were two of the few members of La Mesa outside of prison — Velasquez Larin was living in Colorado and Diaz Amaya was living in Kansas — and were among the top leaders responsible for the gang’s operations on the East Coast.

Murder of Kenny Reyes in Uniondale, Long Island

In 2016, a member of the Hempstead Locos Salvatruchas (“Hempstead”) clique of MS-13 met and befriended Reyes, who had recently come to the United States from Honduras.  This Hempstead member came to believe that Reyes was associated with the 18th Street gang, which is MS-13’s primary rival, and reported this to Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez.  The three men then plotted to murder Reyes to increase their positions in the gang.

On May 23, 2016, Velasquez Larin, Espinoza Sanchez and two Hempstead members lured Reyes to a wooded area behind Uniondale High School to smoke marijuana.  Instead, once in the woods, Espinoza Sanchez struck Reyes with a machete.  Velasquez Larin and the Hempstead members also struck Reyes repeatedly with a machete before the men buried Reyes’ body.  For years after the murder, Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez bragged about their roles in the killing to other MS-13 members.  Reyes’s body has never been recovered.

Murder of Victor Alvarenga in Flushing, Queens

In 2018, Alvarenga met multiple Fulton members and claimed to be a high-ranking member of the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) clique of MS-13. Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez investigated Alvarenga’s claims and determined that he was not who he claimed to be.  Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez then ordered their underlings, Douglas Melgar-Suriano and Jairo Martinez-Garcia, to kill Alvarenga. Espinoza Sanchez provided Melgar-Suriano and Martinez-Garcia with guns for this purpose and waited in the getaway car to oversee the murder.

In the early morning of November 4, 2018, Melgar-Suriano, Martinez-Garcia and Tito Martinez Alvarenga, a member of the Indios Locos Salvatruchas (Indios) MS-13 clique, laid in wait for Alvarenga.  As Alvarenga was walking to his home, he was intercepted by Melgar-Suriano. After walking with him briefly, Melgar-Suriano shot Alvarenga multiple times in the head and body.  As Alvarenga writhed on the pavement, Martinez-Garcia also shot him.  Martinez Alvarenga stole Alvarenga’s cellphone to prevent law enforcement from recovering any evidence on the phone. Velasquez Larin promoted Melgar-Suriano and Martinez-Garcia within the gang for their participation in this murder.

Melgar Suriano and Martinez Garcia pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Murder of Eric Monge in College Point, Queens

In early 2020, Fulton member Oscar Hernandez Baires stole a shotgun from Monge, his former roommate.  In response, Monge confronted Hernandez Baires and assaulted him. This assault was reported to Fulton leadership, including Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez, who then ordered that Monge be killed for attacking Hernandez Baires.  Multiple Fulton members, including Velasquez Larin and Espinoza Sanchez conducted surveillance to locate Monge so that he could be killed.

In the early morning hours of September 6, 2020, Fulton members Jose Guevara Aguilar and Hernandez Baires shot at and killed Monge while he was seated in his parked car near his home in Queens.  Monge’s wife had just returned to the car after bringing their young children inside their residence when Hernandez Baires and Guevara Aguilar began shooting.  After the murder, Guevara Aguilar and Hernandez Baires ran back to a car where another Fulton member was waiting to help them escape.  As they fled to the car, Guevara Aguilar dropped his hat, which was later found to have his DNA on it.

Guevara Aguilar and Hernandez Baires pleaded guilty to the murder and are awaiting sentencing.

Murder of Oswaldo Gutierrez Medrano in Jericho, Long Island

On January 31, 2022, a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas (“Sailors”) MS-13 clique known as “Stocky” murdered two members of the Sureños gang in FCI Beaumont, a federal prison located in Texas. Because this murder was unauthorized, La Mesa sought to punish the Sailors clique.

Gutierrez Medrano was a member of the Sailors clique in New York.  The Sailors wanted to promote him to homeboy after he received a beating.  Because there were no other Sailors present in New York, MS-13 members from other cliques would have to give Gutierez Medrano his beating.  La Mesa, including Velasquez Larin and Diaz Amaya, used this as an opportunity to exact its revenge and ordered the murder of Gutierrez Medrano.  Diaz Amaya also coordinated luring Gutierrez Medrano to meet other MS-13 members under the false pretense that he would be receiving his beating.

On February 13, 2022 in Nassau County, Gutierrez Medrano met with those other MS-13 members, including Arevalo Iraheta, who hacked him to death with machetes, slit his throat with a knife, dismembered his body and buried the parts in a wooded area.

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This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Today’s convictions are the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of MS-13.  MS-13’s leadership was based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States.  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.  A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults.  Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 75 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.  These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners including HSI and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI and NYPD.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Nadie E. Moore, Anna L. Karamigios and Kam Ammari are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Timothy Migliaro and Danielle Barber.

The Defendants:

EDENILSON VELASQUEZ LARIN (also known as “Agresor,” “Saturno,” “Tiny,” and “Paco”)
Age:  36
Thornton, Colorado

JOSE AREVALO IRAHETA (also known as “Splinter,” “Inesperado,” and “Daniel”)
Age:  28
Queens, New York

HUGO DIAZ AMAYA (also known as “21”)
Age:  37
Kansas City, Kansas

JOSE ESPINOZA SANCHEZ (also known as “Cable,” “Bleca,” and “Fantasma”)
Age:  27
Carrboro, North Carolina

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-228 (LDH)