Two members of MS-13 gang given extended prison time in Eastie murders
Two ruthless MS-13 gang members — one who called himself “Animal” and another who cut off his victim’s hand — have been sent to prison for helping orchestrate the murders of two teenagers in East Boston.
“They were extremely dangerous individuals. Removing them makes us all the more safer,” said Chelsea police Chief Brian Kyes. Both teen victims had ties to Chelsea.
Joel Martinez, aka “Animal,” 23, a Salvadoran national formerly of East Boston, faces deportation after he’s served his 40 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston announced yesterday. He will not face a state murder charge, the Suffolk DA’s office added.
Martinez admitted that on Sept. 20, 2015, he murdered a 15-year-old boy on Trenton Street in East Boston by stabbing him, federal officials said.
Martinez told an informant he did the killing: “I stabbed the (expletive) three times,” and stated, “He stared at me and he asked me if I was going to, if I was going to stab him. I told him, ‘Yes, the Mara rules you,’ ” the feds said.
“Mara” refers to Mara Salvatrucha, MS-13’s original gang name.
Martinez pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity” — or RICO conspiracy. The federal murder charge, officials told the Herald, is only used in the death of a federal agent.
The victim, 15-year-old Irvin Depaz of Chelsea, was stabbed to death on Trenton Street just after 5 p.m. almost three years ago, according to Boston police.
Also, Jairo Perez, aka “Seco” (“Skinny” in English), 27, a Salvadoran national who also faces deportation after serving his 35year sentence, pleaded guilty yesterday to similar RICO charges in connection with the Jan. 10, 2016, murder of 16-year-old Christofer de la Cruz in East Boston.
That teen was due to testify against the gang but was shot, slashed and had his hand hacked off in the grisly murder after authorities had helped move him to Worcester, according to court testimony.
Both men are part of a federal grand jury indictment against 61 MS-13 gang members in Greater Boston. To date, 48 of them have been convicted, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. It’s the largest case of its kind in the nation.
President Trump has called out the MS-13 gang — recently calling them “animals.” On Monday, the White House sent out a follow-up email on “what you need to know” about the gang.
That email added: “President Trump’s entire Administration is working tirelessly to bring these violent animals to justice.”
‘They were extremely dangerous individuals. Removing them makes us all the more safer.’ — CHELSEA POLICE CHIEF BRIAN KYES