MS-13 is declared ‘inoperable’ in New York after police arrest 96 members in the largest ever take down of the violent street gang
- Police have arrested 96 MS-13 members in New York in a sting that is believed to be the largest ever take down of the violent street gang in the state
- The Suffolk County District Attorney announced the charges against the 96 MS-13 members and associates on Friday
- The arrests stem from a two-year investigation that saw authorities thwart seven attempted murder plots
- Authorities say the lengthy operation has dealt a significant blow to MS-13 leadership in New York
MS-13 has been declared ‘inoperable’ in New York after police arrested 96 members in a sting that is believed to be the largest ever take down of the violent street gang in the state.
The Suffolk County District Attorney announced the charges against the 96 MS-13 members and associates during a press conference in Long Island on Friday.
The arrests stem from a two-year investigation that saw authorities thwart seven attempted murder plots.
Authorities say the lengthy operation has dealt a significant blow to MS-13 leadership in New York.
MS-13 has been declared ‘inoperable’ in New York after police arrested 96 members in a sting that is believed to be the largest ever take down of the violent street gang in the state (file photo)
During the investigation, authorities say they learned that MS-13 were trying to building up their presence in Long Island by trying to recruits gang members from other states.
The violent gang are behind several murders in region, including the 2016 deaths of teenagers Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens who were fatally attacked with baseball bats and machetes.
The international gang was founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s by immigrants fleeing a civil war in El Salvador.
MS-13 now has 8,000-10,000 members in the U.S. alone – most of Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Honduran descent.
While MS-13 has been around for decades, law enforcement officials on Long Island say the region has seen a unique surge in activity since 2015 – the same time the area received a major influx of unaccompanied minors from Latin America.