MS-13 gang leader Alexi Saenz, known as ‘Blasty’ and ‘Plaky,’ is set to face sentencing Wednesday in a federal racketeering case involving the brutal murders of eight individuals, including two Long Island teenagers killed in 2016. The violence, which included the slayings of Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15, spurred former President Donald Trump to take public action against the gang. Trump had previously announced in 2020 that the Justice Department would seek the death penalty against Saenz, a move that sparked significant political debate.
At the core of the case is the prosecution’s argument against leniency for Saenz, who pleaded guilty last July to overseeing the deaths of the eight victims and other crimes that led to the gang’s violent campaign. The brutality of the crimes, including the machete attacks on the two teenage girls and the prolonged suffering of victims like Javier Castillo and Oscar Acosta, has been described as ‘senseless’ and ‘sadistic’ by prosecutors. Saenz’s lawyers are seeking a sentence of 45 years, but prosecutors are pushing for the maximum of 70 years, emphasizing the severity of the crimes and the need for justice.
The case also highlights the broader political shift in the DOJ’s approach to organized crime. Under the Biden administration, Attorney General Merrick Garland informed federal prosecutors in November 2023 that the DOJ was no longer pursuing the death penalty for Saenz or his brother, Jairo Saenz, despite the initial Trump-era mandate. This decision reflects a more lenient stance on capital punishment and has drawn criticism from Trump’s allies, who argue that it undermines the pursuit of justice for the victims’ families.
Saenz’s defense has argued that he is remorseful and ‘on a journey of redemption’ while incarcerated. His lawyers have cited his intellectual disabilities and a traumatic upbringing in El Salvador, where he was recruited and ‘groomed’ into MS-13 by his high school peers in Long Island. However, prosecutors have countered that Saenz has remained ‘firmly entrenched’ in the gang’s activities even while in federal lockup. Evidence of his continued involvement includes photos of him posing with other gang members behind bars and displaying gang paraphernalia, as well as disciplinary issues in prison for assaulting inmates and possessing contraband.
The DOJ’s determination that Saenz was the leader of an MS-13 ‘clique’ operating in Brentwood and Central Islip, known as Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside, underscores the extent of his criminal activities. He admitted to overseeing the eight murders and three other attempted murders, as well as arson, firearms offenses, and drug trafficking that contributed to the gang’s expansion and influence. His crimes have been linked to the wider MS-13 gang, which has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. government.
Trump’s designation of MS-13 as an FTO in February, shortly after beginning his second term, marked a significant shift in the administration’s approach to the gang. This designation has led to increased federal efforts to dismantle the organization and has been a key part of Trump’s campaign to address organized crime and gang violence. Despite these efforts, the case of Alexi Saenz illustrates the complex and often contentious nature of U.S. criminal justice policy, particularly in the context of high-profile gang-related crimes.