
A high-ranking member of an MS-13 clique in New York, Jairo Saenz, has pleaded guilty to racketeering and other federal charges related to seven slayings, including the 2016 killings of two high school girls that brought attention to the violent Central American street gang. Saenz, 28, admitted his involvement in the crimes during a hearing in federal court in Central Islip, New York.
Saenz, originally from El Salvador, faces 40 to 60 years in prison as part of a plea deal approved by the judge. He was the second-in-command in a gang clique known as Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside, operating in Brentwood and Central Islip. His brother, Alexi Saenz, the clique's leader, had previously pleaded guilty to similar charges.