The leader of an MS-13 clique operating in New York’s Long Island suburbs is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday in a federal racketeering case tied to eight brutal murders, including the 2016 killings of two teenage girls that shocked the nation and prompted then-President Donald Trump to call for the death penalty.
Alexi Saenz, known on the streets as “Blasty” and “Big Homie,” led the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside clique of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization with roots in El Salvador. Saenz pleaded guilty last July to authorizing eight killings, three attempted murders, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and arson — all committed in service of the gang.
The most infamous murders under Saenz’s command were the savage slayings of 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas, best friends and classmates at Brentwood High School, who were ambushed and killed with a machete and a baseball bat after reportedly clashing with MS-13 members. Their deaths triggered national attention and led President Trump to visit Long Island multiple times, using the case to spotlight the brutal reach of MS-13 and the consequences of failed border enforcement.
Federal prosecutors are seeking the maximum sentence of 70 years, arguing that Saenz’s crimes were “senseless” and “sadistic.” In court filings, they stated: “The eight victims who lost their lives did nothing to deserve what the MS-13 did to them. The defendant and the others killed them in service of the gang without remorse or any regard for them as human beings.”
Saenz’s defense attorneys, however, are asking for a 45-year sentence, citing his reported remorse and difficult childhood. They claim he suffers from intellectual disabilities and was manipulated into gang life as a vulnerable high school student. Their memo describes Saenz as being on a “journey of redemption,” though prosecutors strongly dispute that narrative.
According to the government, Saenz has remained fully aligned with MS-13 while in federal custody. They cited evidence of him flashing gang signs, posing with other MS-13 inmates, and being caught with contraband including makeshift weapons and cellphones. His disciplinary record includes violent altercations and defiance of prison staff.
“Indeed, the same pattern of violence and mayhem that has marked his life on the street has not waned with the passage of time,” prosecutors wrote.
Among Saenz’s other victims were:
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Javier Castillo, 15, murdered with a machete after being lured by gang members.
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Oscar Acosta, 19, whose remains were discovered months after he left home for a soccer game.
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Several others killed or targeted in gang-mandated executions of suspected rivals or those who had “disrespected” the clique.
Prosecutors said the profits from Saenz’s drug trafficking and extortion activities helped finance more weapons, narcotics, and contributions to MS-13’s broader operations.
MS-13, short for Mara Salvatrucha, originated in Los Angeles during the 1980s among Salvadoran immigrants. It has since evolved into a transnational network with a reputation for extreme violence and ritualistic killings, particularly across Central America and immigrant communities in the U.S.
