Latest news with #18thStreetGang
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
MS-13 gangbanger lured love-struck victim to his death with fake Facebook profile: feds
A reputed MS-13 gangbanger lured a lovelorn 20-year-old Long Island man to his death by coaxing him into a rendezvous using a fake Facebook profile, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Kevin Cuevas 'Creeper' Del Cid, 25, pleaded guilty to charges that he posed as a 'young girl' in 2016 to get a 20-year-old man to show up in a wooded area near the Merrick-Freeport border, where he was jumped and hacked to death with machetes — one of two brutal slayings Del Cid has pleaded guilty to. 'Kevin Cuevas Del Cid, an MS-13 member, slaughtered two victims based on their assumed alliance with a rival gang,' FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia said. 'Del Cid's attacks reflect the gang's brutal rhetoric designed to intimidate and punish any perceived threat to its organization.' Kevin Cuevas Del Cid, 25, pleaded guilty to two grisly murders on Long Island in 2016. Del Cid, who also goes by the nicknames 'Malcriado,' which means spoiled or bratty, and 'Sombra,' which means shadow, admitted to two vicious slayings of suspected rival gang members, according to the US Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York. In the first incident, prosecutors said Del Cid, a member of the gang's 'Sailors' clique, set up the Facebook profile to trick Kerin Pineda into an ambush on May 21, 2016, because he was suspected of being a member of the rival 18th Street Gang. 'When Pineda arrived, he was surrounded and violently attacked by Del Cid and the other MS-13 members, each of whom took turns hacking and slashing him with machetes,' the US Attorney's Office said in a press release Wednesday. 'Pineda's body was then buried in a hole that had been dug in the ground the day before in anticipation of the murder.' Federal prosecutors said Kevin Cuevas Del Cid lured a victim to his death with a fake Facebook profile of a woman. New York Post In the second killing, Del Cid, who was just 16 at the time, convinced 15-year-old Javier Castillo to go to a secluded section of Cow Meadow Park to smoke marijuana on Oct. 10, 2016. Castillo, another suspected member of the 18th Street Gang, was hacked to death and buried near the crime scene — where the body remained until it was discovered one year later. On Wednesday, Del Cid pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in connection with the two slayings as well as conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, prosecutors said. MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a migrant gang that originated in Central America but has established a foothold in parts of the US, including on Long Island. 'The defendant pleaded guilty to the brutal killings of two young people, whose murders demonstrate the MS-13's well-established obsession with committing extreme acts of violence and complete disregard for human life,' Eastern District US Attorney Joseph Nocella said.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
AOC's pimp and prostitute-filled district is FINALLY cleaned up thanks to Trump administration
Eight suspected members of violent migrant gang that plagued Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 's New York City district have been taken down in a major bust. They stand accused of carrying out brutal assaults and stabbings in a takeover of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. The two-mile strip, which is part of the state's 14th congressional district, is frequently dotted with scantily clad women on the litter strewn sidewalks. The area is often filled with street vendors flogging all types of goods. Prosecutors say that seven of the eight are in the US illegally and that all are associates of the 18th Street Gang, a transnational group formed by Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said that those involved had 'unleashed terror' on communities. Gang members are responsible for assaults, extortion, fraud and drug trafficking, according to prosecutors. They were named as Felix Bonilla Ramos, 36, Uriel Lopez, 30, Refugio Martinez, 32, Margarito Ortega, 38, Orlando Ramirez, 24, German Rodriguez, 34, David Vasquez Corona, 29, and Marco Vidal Mendez, 36. They face charges of racketeering conspiracy, including narcotics and firearms trafficking, production and sale of fraudulent identification documents, and extortion. The indictment against the group came after local leaders called for the FBI to step in and clean up the area of sex workers and drug dealers. Several community leaders wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel urging him to put agents on the ground to tackle the issues in April. They said that the infamous Tren de Aragua was wiped out of the area leading to the 18th Street Gang taking over the turf. Authorities say the 18th Street Gang are divided into 'cliques', with the eight arrested part of the '54 Tiny Locos' clique. Officials say the group took over Roosevelt Avenue and pointed to three assaults in the area that they claim to have linked to some members of the group. In December 2021 gang members attacked a man outside of a bar, smashing a glass bottle of tequila across his face leaving him lacerated skin and nerve damage. Then in January 2022 five gang members attacked two victims outside a bar. One of the victims was stabbed while gang members held them in place. The other victim was attacked with wooden planks, again leaving the individual with lacerations that required stitches. Last year, another individual, who they believed to be a gang rival, was beat with a bike lock and a metal chair. They required medical care and stitches to their face. They are facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, including narcotics and firearms trafficking, production and sale of fraudulent identification documents, a fake US passport allegedly made by the group is seen here The US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a DOJ initiative aimed at eradicating transnational criminal organizations, combating violent crime, and restoring the rule of law. In a statement Katz said: 'Every resident deserves to feel safe walking down the street, without having to worry about gang violence. 'My office will continue to combat violent criminal enterprises and assist partner investigations to dismantle gangs as they try to establish themselves in our neighborhoods.' An indictment, unsealed last month, came after local leaders blew the whistle on the extent of the damage being done to the area. United States Attorney Joseph Nocella added: 'The 18th Street Gang exploited a Queens neighborhood as a hub for violence and illicit activity. 'Today's arrests show the community that my office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to put these violent criminals behind bars.' Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, announced that crime in the area had dropped by 28 percent since launching a crackdown in the area. Adams had launched a multi-agency enforcement dubbed 'Operation Restore Roosevelt' to tackle sex work and crime in the area. He said: 'This administration wasn't going to tolerate an atmosphere of anything goes. We listened to the community and took action — launching 'Operation Restore Roosevelt' as one of our signature 'Community Link' initiatives. 'Eight months later the results are clear: crime is down more than 28 percent, with double-digit drops in burglaries, assaults, robberies, and more. 'That's not an accident. It's the result of our clear and continuing focus on public safety and quality of life.
Fox News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
AOC's 'Red Light' district ruled by violent migrant gang taken down by feds
Several members of a violent migrant gang accused of "unleashing terror" to maintain control of a notorious crime strip represented by progressive Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng have been taken down by police in a major bust. Eight members of the ruthless 18th Street transnational gang are accused of carrying out several brutal beatings and stabbings to maintain their dominance of the Roosevelt Avenue commercial corridor in Queens. They also distributed fake passports and counterfeit currency, dealt drugs and trafficked firearms while extorting businesses for rent payments, prosecutors said. Seven of the eight gangbangers are in the country illegally, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital. They are all members and associates of the 18th Street gang, which was formed by Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles in the 1960s and today has members throughout the United States as well as in Mexico and Central America, prosecutors said. The suspects "are accused of unleashing terror onto Queens communities through brutal assaults, extortion, fraud, and drug trafficking," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. Their turf spanned the two-mile commercial strip, which has been a crime and illegal prostitution hot spot for years and has been extensively reported on by Fox News Digital. Locals have likened it to a "Red Light district" or a third-world flea market, given the sidewalks are often full of women soliciting sex as well as vendors selling all sorts of stolen or counterfeit goods and unregulated hot food. Fox News Digital witnessed at least 30 women soliciting sex on one block on the strip following Ocasio-Cortez's town hall recently. The indictment against the gangbangers, which was unsealed on June 16, follows a Fox News Digital report from April revealing that local leaders were sounding the alarm about the 18th Street Gang sweeping in to take control of the area. The gang had moved in to fill the territorial void left by groups like Tren de Aragua, which local leaders said was largely dismantled after a major winter police operation in the area which resulted in hundreds of arrests. The local leaders had called on the FBI and the DEA to help them crack down on the criminals who they said had turned their neighborhood into a festering "gangland." The 18th Street gang has been tagging their gang insignia around the area, marking their turf. The arrests appeared to show that the FBI heeded locals' calls, with those charged being hit with various charges, including racketeering charges. One of the defendants was separately charged with illegally possessing a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and ammunition as a non-citizen. FBI Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office Christopher Raia said those arrested carried out a reign of violence that included assaults on innocent civilians and rival gang members in an effort to assert and maintain control over Roosevelt Avenue. "Those arrested… acted and behaved with callous and cruel disregard for those around them," Raia said of the multi-agency takedown operation. "Our actions today represent yet another example of the FBI's commitment to crushing the violent transnational gangs plaguing our communities." None of the suspects are accused of being involved in prostitution. Former Democrat state Senator Hiram Monserrate, who was part of the group calling for a federal intervention, praised the takedown. "As our Restore Roosevelt Avenue coalition stated months ago, what was and is still happening on Roosevelt Avenue is international organized crime involving human trafficking, shoplifting syndicates and the distribution of narcotics," Monserrate said. "Many stood silent, we didn't. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI. Still much to do!" The 18th Street gang is divided into several "cliques," with the eight suspects being part of the "54 Tiny Locos" faction of the gang, prosecutors said. Prosecutors pointed to three brutal assaults where the gang showed its muscle to assert influence in the area. In a December 2021 case, three suspects assaulted two victims outside a bar on the strip after being asked if they were members of a gang. The gangbangers allegedly smashed a victim's head open with a glass bottle of tequila, leaving him with severe lacerations to his face and nerve damage. In a January 2022 attack, two suspects held a victim down outside a bar while another perpetrator stabbed him in the lung. The 18th Street thugs then attacked a second victim with large wooden planks, causing lacerations that required sutures. In June 2024, the gang beat a victim with a bike lock and a metal chair, among other things, believing he was a member of a rival gang. PHOTOS: Swipe to see more images Meng praised law enforcement for working to combat gang violence in the area. Ocasio-Cortez's office did not respond to a request for comment. "As I've continued to say, public safety must always be a top priority in our communities and dangerous criminals who commit violent crimes must be held accountable," Meng said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This includes ANYBODY responsible for these types of heinous activity." The troubled strip has been a magnet for crime for years. NYPD Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry told Fox News Digital in May that issues like prostitution have permeated the area for decades and he remembers it being a hot spot for prostitution in the '90s. Daughtry said the migrant crisis exacerbated the situation as many migrants were drawn to the area, given that it already has a large Latin American population. In October, Mayor Eric Adams spearheaded a heavy police clampdown called Operation Restore Roosevelt, which consisted of more than 200 additional police officers that reduced crime by 29% in the area, Daughtry said. Daughtry said 15 brothels were raided out of 30 court filings made by the police. For instance, days after Ocasio-Cortez's town hall, authorities shut down a notorious brothel dubbed the "bodega brothel" by locals, which was operating above a corner store near two schools in Ocasio-Cortez's district. Video from inside the cat house obtained by Fox News Digital shows squalid conditions, with five cramped, makeshift rooms sectioned off by wooden panels and shower curtains with just enough room to fit a bed in every one of them. Several other brothels have been shut down since then. The takedown was a multi-agency operation involving the FBI's New York Field Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of New York, the Queens District Attorney's Office with assistance from Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Secret Service and the Labor Department. The suspects are Felix Bonilla Ramos, 36; Uriel Lopez, 30; Refugio Martinez, 32; Margarito Ortega, 38; Orlando Ramirez, 24; German Rodriguez, 34; David Vasquez Corona, 29; and Marco Vidal Mendez, 36. Only Rodriguez has legal status in the United States.
CBS News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Cudahy vice mayor faces backlash for social media video calling on gang members to stand up to ICE
Cudahy vice mayor faces backlash for social media video calling on gang members to stand up to ICE Cudahy vice mayor faces backlash for social media video calling on gang members to stand up to ICE Cudahy vice mayor faces backlash for social media video calling on gang members to stand up to ICE Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez is facing backlash after she allegedly posted a video on her social media accounts, calling on local gang members to reclaim city streets as immigration operations continue across Los Angeles. "You guys tag everything up, claiming hood, and now that your hood is being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain't a peep out of you. It's everyone else that's not about the gang life and out there protesting and speaking up," Gonzalez says in a portion of the since-deleted video. Though she didn't explicitly refer to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement by name, the Department of Homeland Security shared a statement in response. "The comments made by the Vice Mayor of Cudahy, CA, Cynthia Gonzalez, are despicable," their statement said. "She calls for criminal gangs — including the vicious 18th Street Gang —to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement. This kind of garbage has led to a more than 500 percent increase in assaults against our ICE law enforcement officers." The city of Cudahy also shared a response to the video, saying that they are aware of Gonzalez's comments and that they do not represent the city's official position. On June 11th, Gonzalez was one of many local mayors and leaders who appeared with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to oppose the Trump Administration's immigration enforcement, which was met with protests and scattered violence across parts of downtown Los Angeles. Some community members say that her comments are over the line. "She's just talking insane. Especially with everything that's going on right now, with the raids and ICE and her's trying to start something else," said Nancy Delgado, who grew up in Cudahy. CBS News Los Angeles attempted to reach Gonzalez for comment on the matter but has not yet heard back. A statement was also requested from the FBI in regard to a federal investigation, but they neither confirmed nor denied if actions were being taken. The Los Angeles Police Protective League released a statement calling for Gonzalez's resignation following her social media video and said if her comments broke the law, she should be prosecuted. "What Ms. Gonzalez urged and taunted these specific gangs to do in her social media post puts police officers and other law enforcement professionals at greater risk," their statement said. "Her actions are deplorable and potentially illegal."
CBS News
24-06-2025
- CBS News
Crime down along Queens' Roosevelt Avenue after months-long crackdown, officials say
Months-long crackdown along Queens' Roosevelt Avenue leads to crime reduction, officials say Months-long crackdown along Queens' Roosevelt Avenue leads to crime reduction, officials say Months-long crackdown along Queens' Roosevelt Avenue leads to crime reduction, officials say The New York City Police Department's months-long crackdown on alleged illegal activity plaguing Roosevelt Avenue in Queens has resulted in significant crime reductions, city officials said Tuesday. From illegal brothels to gang activity and unlicensed vendors, residents have been complaining of crime and quality of life concerns on Roosevelt Avenue for years. Over the past eight months, the city's "Operation Restore Roosevelt" multi-agency crackdown has aimed to address community concerns. Over 2,500 arrests in Operation Restore Roosevelt, officials say Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD officials touted double-digit declines in crimes across the corridor. According to officials, the decline include: Robberies down 27% Felony assault down 28% Burglaries down 48% Grand larcenies down 29% Sex crimes down 53% "We're using every tool possible, and the numbers speak for themselves. We have a 28 percent drop in crime along Roosevelt Avenue, year to date," Mayor Eric Adams said. They say the city's joint operation with the feds also led to the arrests of eight alleged members of the 18th Street Gang. "Dismantling a network that had been driving violence and disorder in this corridor for years," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Operation Restore Roosevelt has led to 27,821 summonses and 2,501 arrests, including 397 prostitution-related offenses, officials say. The city says it's worked to connect those impacted with services. Crime crackdown gets mixed reactions from Queens residents Reaction among businesses and residents has been mixed. Milton Reyes says last April, the sidewalk outside the pharmacy where he works was lined with illegal vendors. "You couldn't even cross the street," he said. "Because of everything that was going on." But more than a year later, he says it's looking "much, much better" thanks to Operation Restore Roosevelt. Some residents feel there's still a long way to go. "It's like whack-a-mole, really. They get 'em out of one area, they just show up at another one," Queens resident Mike Richard said. "For me, it's the same," another person said. Resident Gilbert Rios said his biggest complaints in the area are prostitution and crime. When asked if he thought the police presence made a difference, he said, "Yeah. When they stay over here, yeah." The NYPD says its presence isn't going anywhere as the city continues its efforts to reduce crime in the area.
