MS-13 Member Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For 2 Murders

BRENTWOOD, NY — A member of the deadly MS-13 street gang was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Thursday for the murders of another MS-13 affiliate and a suspected rival.

Carlos Argueta, 22, of Brentwood, also known as “Violento,” “Desorden” and “Dylan,” a former leader of the Freeport Locos Salvatruchas (Freeport) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States Circuit Judge Joseph F. Biancoon in federal court for his participation in the murder of Jose Pena and the attempted murder of a suspected rival gang member outside of the Brentwood public library.

Argueta was also charged for for racketeering and firearms and plead guilty in 2019.

According to court documents, on the afternoon of January 15, 2016, Argueta, Pena and several other MS-13 members confronted three suspected rival gang members outside of a public library in Brentwood. Argueta removed a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and shot one of the men, identified as John Doe in the superseding indictment, in the torso, officials said. Argueta and the other MS-13 members then fled. The wounded person received medical treatment and survived, officials said.

Suffolk County police then arrested Argueta, Pena and a third MS- 13 member in connection with the attempted murder of John Doe, and were released on bail.

According to officials, Argueta told other members of the Freeport clique that he suspected that Pena, a member of the Normandie clique of the MS-13, had cooperated with police. Additionally, members of the MS-13 suspected that Pena was homosexual, officials said, which is unacceptable under the rules of the MS-13.

After consulting with MS-13 leaders in El Salvador, Argueta and other MS-13 members agreed to kill Pena.

Argueta assigned tasks to other MS-13 gang members including getting weapons and a getaway car to be used in the murder.

Then in June 2016, Argueta and the other members lured Pena into a car and drove to a secluded wooded area in Brentwood.

After walking into the woods the group attacked Pena, taking turns stabbing and slashing him with knives, and killed him.

Pena's body was found over four months later.

“Argueta, a violent leader in the MS-13, shot and wounded a so-called ‘rival’ in broad daylight outside of a public library, and then participated in the pre-planned brutal slashing and stabbing death of one of his alleged MS-13 accomplices in that shooting," said United States Attorney Breon Peace ". Today’s lengthy sentence ensures that Argueta will no longer inflict senseless violence and bloodshed on our streets.”