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Alexi Saenz, 30, also known as “Blasty” and “Plaky,” was sentenced to 68 years in federal prison in Central Islip federal court Wednesday, June 3, for a violent crime spree that rocked Suffolk County in 2016 and 2017.
Saenz, a high-ranking leader of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside clique of MS-13, pleaded guilty in 2024 to racketeering charges tied to eight murders, multiple attempted murders, arson, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses.
“Alexi Saenz led an unspeakable reign of terror, killing, and crime that damaged his community and cost several people their lives,” said US Attorney Joseph Nocella.
Among the most horrific crimes: the September 2016 killings of Brentwood High School students Kayla Cuevas, 16, and Nisa Mickens, 15. Saenz authorized the attack as part of an MS-13 hit squad that beat and hacked the girls to death with bats and machetes, prosecutors said.
The murders of Cuevas and Mickens sparked national outrage and intensified law enforcement efforts to dismantle MS-13’s presence on Long Island.
Other victims included Michael Johnson, 29, whose body was dumped in the woods after being lured to smoke marijuana, then ambushed and hacked with a machete; Oscar Acosta, 19, beaten unconscious and buried alive; and Javier Castillo, 15, lured to a marsh and brutally murdered.
“Saenz terrorized Long Island as he indiscriminately targeted and hunted a wide range of victims, with careless regard to innocent bystanders harmed by his actions,” said FBI New York Assistant Director Christopher Raia.
In addition to the murders, Saenz orchestrated gang shootings, attempted murders, drug trafficking, and an arson attack that set multiple cars ablaze. He funneled drug money to buy firearms, fund gang activities, and wire cash to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador.
The investigation and prosecution were part of a years-long effort by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Since 2010, federal prosecutors have obtained convictions against dozens of MS-13 members linked to more than 75 murders.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina praised the sentence: “Alexi Saenz… ripped apart families and terrorized Suffolk County with his MS-13 cohorts. I commend the efforts of the SCPD officers and our law enforcement partners who are dedicated to bringing violent gang criminals to justice and offering closure to the victims’ families.”
Saenz, originally from El Salvador, lived in Central Islip at the time of the crimes. He was 22 when the killings began. He will not be eligible for parole.
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