In a notable development from Long Island's ongoing battle with gang violence, Kevin Cuevas Del Cid, an MS-13 member, pleaded guilty to participating in the grisly murders of two individuals in Nassau County back in 2016. Del Cid, known by several aliases including “Creeper” and “Sombra,” admitted to his role in the deaths of Kerin Pineda and Javier Castillo, whose killings have been attributed to the gang's notorious ethos of extreme violence, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella described the plea as an important moment in the fight against gang terror, stating "Today, 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." This outlook on the violence perpetrated by MS-13 was shared by FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia, who emphasized the gang's strategy to use fear and punishment to maintain control, describing the murders as a reflection of the MS-13's "brutal rhetoric." According to the U.S. Attorney's Office press release, Del Cid used a fake Facebook profile to lure Pineda to a remote area where the victim was savagely attacked.
Del Cid, who was 16 at the time of the crimes, was initially charged under seal in an action kept out of the public eye due to his juvenile status. Following a June 2022 hearing, he was ordered to be prosecuted as an adult—a decision made by United States Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco. The change to adult status and the subsequent guilty plea signal an ongoing commitment by law enforcement at various levels to dismantle MS-13's operations, a sentiment echoed by Nassau County Police Department Commissioner Patrick J. Ryder. Following the guilty plea, Ryder praised the collaboration between federal and local agencies, articulating the resolve to eradicate gang violence, as NCPD "will never stop working to protect our citizens from these violent elements," as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The horrific murders of Pineda and Castillo are but two instances in a series of violent acts attributed to the MS-13 gang, whose structure spreads across the United States, despite leadership being anchored in Central America and Mexico. This latest conviction is a fragment of the Eastern District of New York's larger effort to prosecute MS-13's activities. As outlined in the DOJ announcement, with more than 75 murders charged to MS-13 members since 2010, the federal authorities have made significant headway into subduing the gang's influence. The efforts form part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aiming to dismantle organized crime and restore order, as well as the OCDETF program intended to disrupt high-level criminal enterprises.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell, spearheaded the government's case, integrating resources from various law enforcement agencies to ensure justice for the murders of Pineda and Castillo. The pursuit of MS-13 members demonstrates federal, state, and local authorities' integrated strategies to combat the pervasive threat of gang violence.
