In federal court in Boston on Aug. 2, a member of MS-13’s Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha clique based in Chelsea received a sentence for RICO conspiracy stemming from his assault of two members of a rival gang.
U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor imposed a 42-month prison term on Kevin Ayala, a/k/a “Gallito,” 23, a Salvadoran national residing in Chelsea, with deportation to follow upon his release. The defendant’s guilty plea came in February 2017, when he admitted to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, commonly known as RICO conspiracy.
The assault occurred in April 2014, when Ayala, operating as part of MS-13’s Enfermos Criminales Salvatrucha clique in Chelsea, engaged in an aggravated assault targeting two members of the rival 18th Street gang in Chelsea. His role in the organization led to his identification as a member of this clique.
Following a three-year, multi-agency investigation, a superseding indictment charged 61 individuals in total, with Ayala among them. The indictment targeted alleged leaders, members, and associates of MS-13 in Massachusetts. Court documents established that MS-13 operates as a violent transnational criminal organization, with branches or “cliques” active throughout the United States, including Massachusetts, and in Central America. To preserve their standing and enforce discipline, MS-23 members are expected to commit violent acts, including assaults and murders targeting gang rivals and individuals suspected of cooperating with law enforcement.