A man suspected of murdering another man in New York City over the weekend is an MS-13 gang member, law enforcement officials reportedly revealed.
MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is a notoriously violent gang that is known for its obscene methods of killing, including beheadings.
“MS-13 has created a brand—like Los Zetas in Mexico—based on its reputation for engaging in unspeakable acts of brutality using machete and knife attacks against those that cross it,” Robert J. Bunker, an adjunct research professor at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College, told The Epoch Times.
The New York man allegedly confronted another man, a member of the 18th Street Gang, a rival to MS-13, on Feb. 3 on a subway platform, and shot him to death.
The incident, which was captured by footage taken from cell phones, showed the victim and two men arguing on a subway train before spilling out onto the 90th Street-Elmhurst Avenue Station platform in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens.
The three men can be seen wrestling on the station floor as commuters yell and try to intervene.
Then, one man whipped out a gun and shot the victim at least three times.
The suspect is believed to be a member of MS-13, law enforcement sources told NY1.
The sources said that the suspect, 26, is in custody but his name has not been released publicly.
Person of interest in fatal shooting at 90th St/ Elmhurst Ave. 7 train subway station in Jackson Heights, Queens. pic.twitter.com/MfqvDKIzGi
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) February 3, 2019
The New York Daily News has obtained a photo of a possible suspect in the deadly shooting inside a Queens subway station.https://t.co/VRiRvZrjMi pic.twitter.com/0LyJMQQgpM
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) February 4, 2019
A police source told the New York Post that the suspected motive for the murder “is gang-related.”
The victim was identified as Abel Mosso, 20.
While the shooting suspect is in custody, officers told WABC that the third man in the video is also being sought but that he remains on the run.
In a statement, MTA Chief External Affairs Officer Max Young said: “This incident is beyond horrifying. The NYPD is currently investigating and we are cooperating fully with their investigation. While our system and the city are safer than ever before, we have zero tolerance for any violence on our subways and buses, and the safety of our customers and employees will always be our number one priority.”
ICE Arrests Dozens of Illegal Immigrants
Federal immigration agents arrested more than 100 illegal aliens in New York City and the surrounding environs in an operation that netted some felons who had prior convictions for crimes including child sex crimes.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 118 people for violating U.S. immigration laws across five days starting on Jan. 14, the agency announced on Jan. 29.
Of those arrested, more than 107 were convicted criminals or had criminal charges pending and more than 55 had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States or had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally, according to the agency.
Several illegal aliens who were arrested had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges, and assault.
“The success of this operation is a direct result of the full commitment of the dedicated men and women of ICE,” said Thomas Decker, field office director for the agency’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York, in a statement.
“In spite of the significant obstacles that ICE faces due to the dangerous policies created by local jurisdictions, which hinders the cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement, ICE will continue to devote the full efforts of our agency to protecting citizens and enforcing federal immigration law despite challenges being pursued by politically motivated individuals,” he added.
Among those arrested was a 44-year-old Ecuadorian national and registered sex offender who was convicted of attempted sexual abuse of two female victims under the age of 8.
President Donald Trump has been a vocal advocate of ICE, attributing his administration’s success in battling the notorious MS-13 gang in part to the agency’s officers.
