In a chilling account of gang violence on Long Island, Alexi Saenz, the leader of the Brentwood/Central Islip chapter of the MS-13 gang, pleaded guilty in federal court today to a series of heinous crimes, including eight murders, three attempted murders, arson, and various firearms offenses. Saenz, known by the aliases “Blasty” and “Plaky,” led a campaign of terror that spanned several years, leaving a trail of death and devastation in his wake.
The grim narrative of Saenz’s crimes began on January 28, 2016, with the murder of Michael Johnson. Saenz and his associates lured Johnson to a secluded area under the pretense of smoking marijuana, where they ambushed him with a baseball bat and machetes, leaving his body to be discovered days later. This brutal pattern of violence continued with the murder of Oscar Acosta on April 29, 2016, whom they suspected of associating with a rival gang. Acosta was beaten, bound, and ultimately hacked to death with a machete under Saenz’s supervision.
Saenz’s reign of terror escalated in the summer of 2016, targeting rivals and innocents alike. Notably, on September 13, 2016, Saenz orchestrated the horrific murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, two Brentwood High School students. The girls were chased down and brutally attacked with baseball bats and a machete, their bodies left as grim reminders of the gang’s ruthless vendetta. Their murders gained national attention.
Further violence followed, including the murders of Marcus Bohannon, Javier Castillo, Dewann Stacks, and Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla, each killed under similarly brutal circumstances. Saenz’s criminal activities also extended to attempted murders, including a July 18, 2016 attack where two individuals were injured, one permanently disfigured, and an arson attack on September 12, 2016, where a car was set ablaze in a rival gang neighborhood.
In addition to these violent acts, Saenz was involved in narcotics trafficking to fund the gang’s activities, distributing cocaine and marijuana and funneling the profits into further criminal endeavors.
Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, condemned Saenz’s actions in a statement.
“To say that Alexi Saenz’s hands are drenched in blood does not begin to describe the multiple killings and extreme mayhem he personally directed and committed in the span of one year in Suffolk County,” he said.
Peace lauded the work of prosecutors and law enforcement in dismantling the MS-13’s presence in the district and holding its members accountable.
SCPD Acting Commissioner Robert E. Waring highlighted the impact of Saenz’s crimes on the community, particularly the murders of teenagers Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, which resonated nationally. He expressed hope that the guilty plea would bring closure to the victims’ families and demonstrate law enforcement’s commitment to eradicating gang violence.
Alexi Saenz now faces a minimum of 40 years and up to 70 years in prison as part of his plea agreement.
