An MS-13 gang member who allegedly murdered a 15-year-old was extradited from El Salvador to the U.S. over the weekend, NBC New York reported Sunday.
Eduardo Portillo, 23, fled the U.S. after he was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with murdering a 15-year-old boy, Castillo, from Long Island, New York, NBC New York reported. Castillo was reportedly targeted for belonging to the 18th Street gang, a rival of MS-13.
“Today’s extradition of defendant Portillo demonstrates the resolve of law enforcement to bring to justice all gang members who commit violent crimes in our district no matter where in the world they may run and try to hide,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Seth DuCharme said, NBC New York reported.
MS-13 Gang Member Fugitive Extradited from El Salvador to Face Charges of Murdering a 15-Year-Old Boy on Long Island https://t.co/A3vS6w8ksi (Announced with @NewYorkFBI)
— US Attorney EDNY (@EDNYnews) November 6, 2020
Castillo was allegedly lured into a marsh in Freeport, New York, by Portillo and other MS-13 members, NBC New York reported. Castillo was attacked by the group of reported gang members who took “turns hacking him with a machete,” according to the attorney’s office.
“Bringing Mr. Portillo back to the U.S. to face justice for the heinous murder of a 15-year-old is a big step toward healing a family and community terrorized by MS-13,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge William Sweeny Jr. said, NBC New York reported.
“We hope people see this action as a sign that the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force and our partners are not slowing down in our resolve to dismantle MS-13,” Sweeny added. (RELATED: MS-13 Member Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Driving Gang To Behead And Dismember A Victim)
It took law enforcement officials a year to locate Castillo’s body, according to NBC New York. Portillo faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if he is convicted.
Portillo was indicted in May 2018 and arrested in El Salvador in Feb. 2019, and has been awaiting extradition since, NBC New York reported.
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