Trump Heads To LI 'Killing Fields' To Talk Deadly MS-13 'Animals'

LONG ISLAND, NY — President Donald Trump is slated to head to Long Island Wednesday to address the deadly MS-13 gang and its trail of death, brutality and destruction across the nation.

Trump is expected to speak at the Morrelly Homeland Security Center in Bethpage, according to Rep. Peter King.

Trump has blasted the violent street gang, promising to rid the gang-ravaged communities of Long Island of the "animals" on their streets during a visit to Long Island last year — and again, using the controversial term "animals" during a meeting with California officials on immigration, according to the New York Post.

“We have people coming into the country, or trying to come in — and we’re stopping a lot of them — but we’re taking people out of the country. You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals,” Trump said, when MS-13 was mentioned, according to the Post.

The White House came out in defense of the comments: “I think that ‘animal’ doesn’t go far enough and I think the president should continue using his platform and everything he can do under the law to stop these types of horrible, horrible, disgusting people,” spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, according to the Post.

King, who said he's been working on Trump's visit for about two weeks, said the President is expected to speak for about 90 minutes. "It's going to be an MS-13 focused panel discussion with people from local and federal law enforcement."

Those in attendance will talk about MS-13, "what can be done and what should be done," King said.

Since Trump first came to Long Island to address escalating MS-13 concerns in July, King said "there's been some real progress," including more arrests, the addition of two federal prosecutors, a $500 million grand for Suffolk County Police, and enhanced ICE and Homeland Security efforts, he said.

"The President has made it a top priority," King said, also lauding the efforts of Suffolk and Nassau County Police.

But, King said, the war rages on: "It's a long haul. As you lock up 10 of them, another eight show up. As large numbers are arrested or indicted, unfortunately, they're being replaced. But they'e not being replaced one for one, and that's the progress."

It's not the first time Trump has fired back against the violence spread by the deadly street gang: In July, 2017, the president spoke in Brentwood about the insidious MS-13 gang that's been terrorizing local communities across Long Island in the county.

And in his speech, he promised to rid the gang-ravaged communities of Long Island of the "animals" on their streets.

"Together we're going to restore safety to our streets and peace to our communities. We're going to destroy the vile criminal cartel MS-13," he said in July.

MS-13, Trump said, are brutally violent. "They don't like shooting people because it's too quick, it's too fast," he said. Instead, they "knife them, cut them, let them die slowly because it's more painful. These guys are animals."

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Of border stats, Trump said, at the July event, that numbers were down 78 percent.

"We've nipped it in the bud. Ms-13 has shed gruesome bloodshed throughout the United States. We've gotten some out of here and there rest will be out of here quickly."

Lax border control, "weak political leadership" and police who were unable to do their jobs because of a "pathetic mayor" sent drugs and violence pouring over the border in past years, Trump said.

"From now on, we're going to enforce our laws, protect our borders and support our police like our police have never been supported before," Trump said.

Long Island has been hit hard, including "beautiful young lives" murdered on Long Island alone, he said.

"They butchered those little girls. They kidnap. They extort. They rape and they rob. They prey on children. They shouldn't be here," Trump said.

MS-13 beats with victims with clubs, slashes them with knives and machetes, he said.

"They're animals"

"They have transformed peaceful parks and beautiful, quiet neighborhoods into blood-stained killing fields. They're animals."

One by one, Trump said, the administration is "liberating American towns. . . We will restore law and order on Long Island," Trump said. "We will bring justice back to the United States."

Trump said he had a message for every gang member and criminal alien: "We will find you. We will arrest you. We will jail you. And we will deport you."

Also in July, Trump lauded ICE officers, who he said conducted the largest crackdown of criminal gangs in U.S. history, with 1,400 suspects apprehended, more than 200 illegal firearms seized, and nearly 600 lbs. of narcotics uncovered.

Trump also called for Congress to fund additional federal immigration judges and prosecutors to "dismantle deadly networks" despite "laws horrendously stacked against us for years . . .made to protect the criminal."

In July, Trump also addressed unaccompanied minors, 150,000, who arrived in the United States three years before he took office, Trump said; seven had been indicted for murder in Suffolk County.

"We will defend our country, protect our community and put the safety of the American people first. It's called America First. Make America Great again. This is my promise to each of you," Trump said.

The gruesome discovery in a Central Islip Park in April, 2017 of four young men believed to have been murdered by MS-13 members brought an international spotlight to Suffolk County, with elected officials and law enforcement vowing to fight back.

Trump also vowed to crack down on deadly MS-13 during his first State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol, bringing the pain of the devastation close to home when he introduced the parents of two Brentwood teen girls murdered in a horrific act of MS-13 gang violence.

"For decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. They've allowed millions of low-wage workers to compete for jobs and wages against the poorest Americans. Most tragically, they have caused the loss of many innocent lives," Trump said.

He introduced "two fathers and two mothers: Evelyn Rodriguez, Freddy Cuevas, Elizabeth Alvarado, and Robert Mickens," whose girls, Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, were close friends on Long Island, Trump said.

"But in September 2016, on the eve of Nisa's 16th Birthday — such a happy time it should have been — neither of them came home," he said. "These two precious girls were brutally murdered while walking together in their hometown. Six members of the savage MS-13 gang have been charged with Kayla and Nisa's murders."

According to Trump, many of the gang members "took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as illegal, unaccompanied alien minors, and wound up in Kayla and Nisa's high school."

He added: "Evelyn, Elizabeth, Freddy, and Robert: Tonight, everyone in this chamber is praying for you. Everyone in America is grieving for you. . . I want you to know that 320 million hearts are right now breaking for you. We love you."

The president's visit comes after a large contingent of elected officials have vowed to fight back, with Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini amping up efforts to take down the brutal street gang and convict its members.

Since his election in November, Sini has pledged to crack down on the deadly MS-13 gang.

"We will not tolerate MS-13 in our communities, and my office is implementing an extremely aggressive strategy to combat gang activity in Suffolk County," he said.

Under Sini's leadership, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office has been reorganized to include the designated gang unit within the newly-restructured enhanced prosecution bureau; that unit focuses exclusively on investigating and prosecuting gang members in Suffolk County, the release from Sini's office said.

The gang unit targets gang members, coordinates efforts and intelligence with all gang-assigned law enforcement units in the region, and works to host prevention and intervention programs in the community.

"MS-13 is going to be gone from our streets very soon, believe me," Trump has said.

Related MS-13 coverage on Patch

• MS-13: An Inside Look At The Brutal Gang And Its Insidious Spread On Long Island
• War On MS-13: Cuomo Announces $7.5M To Fight Back On Long Island
• Crackdown Nets 39 MS-13 Arrests In 30 Days

• AG Jeff Sessions Warns Deadly MS-13: 'We Are Targeting You'
• 3 MS-13 Gang Members Reportedly Charged In Brutal Quadruple Homicide In Central Islip
• Feds ID Alleged MS-13 Gang Members Charged In Dozen Long Island Murders
• Guardian Angels Founder Curtis Sliwa Offers Plan To Rein In MS-13
• War Against MS-13 Rages On, Police Chief Discusses Concerns
• Watch Live: Suffolk Police Commissioner Tim Sini Testifying Before Congress On Deadly MS-13 Gang
• 'We Are At War:' Dozens Of MS-13 Gang Members Arrested, Indicted