Bean Town Times

Three alleged members of the MS-13 gang have been charged in connection with two separate murders in Massachusetts, one occurring in December 2010 and another in July 2020. William Pineda Portillo, also known as "Humilde," 31, of Everett, and Jose Vasquez, also known as "Cholo" or "Little Crazy," 31, of Somerville, face charges for conspiracy to conduct racketeering affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity and violent crime in aid of racketeering. Franklin Antonio Amaya Paredes, also known as "Tony," 27, of New Bedford, is charged separately with similar offenses.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy stated: “The charges announced today reflect the relentless commitment of this office and our law enforcement partners to holding violent criminals accountable, no matter how much time has passed. The brutal acts of violence these defendants are accused of committing demonstrate a complete disregard for human life and the rule of law. We will not allow MS-13 or any other violent criminal organization to terrorize our communities.”

Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston Division, added: “What these men allegedly did to their victims was particularly heinous – so much so that over a decade later, the circumstances still stand out. Today’s charges should make it clear to MS-13 members and their associates that medieval-style violence and senseless murder will not be tolerated in Massachusetts.”

According to court documents, Pineda Portillo and Vasquez allegedly conspired with other MS-13 members to murder a 28-year-old man on December 18, 2010. The victim was found with multiple stab wounds at the scene in Chelsea. Vasquez had previously pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy during a 2016 investigation targeting MS-13 leaders and is currently serving a prison sentence.

Pineda Portillo was deported to El Salvador but was arrested upon re-entering Texas from Mexico in May 2022. He admitted his gang affiliation after his arrest.

In another case detailed by prosecutors, Amaya Paredes allegedly murdered a second victim aged 27 near Horseneck Road in Dartmouth on July 2020. Surveillance video reportedly shows Amaya Paredes driving the victim to the scene where he shot him multiple times.

Amaya Paredes was initially charged by state authorities shortly after the incident but now faces federal charges following an indictment by a grand jury on September 11th.

MS-13 is described as a violent transnational criminal organization involved in various illegal activities including murder and drug trafficking across several states within the U.S., as well as countries like El Salvador and Honduras.

The indictments were part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative aimed at disrupting significant criminal organizations through collaborative multi-agency efforts.

Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; Interim Colonel John E. Mawn Jr.; Special Agent Michael J. Krol; Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced these developments today.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary are prosecuting these cases.

The defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.