High-ranking MS-13 gang member pleads guilty to 7 murders in federal court

CENTRAL ISLIP, Long Island -- A former high-ranking member of MS-13 pleaded guilty Tuesday in Long Island federal court to seven murders, including the 2016 killings in Brentwood, New York of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, whose deaths drew national attention to the violent street gang's spread into the Long Island suburbs.

Jairo Saenz pleaded guilty to racketeering and weapons charges six months after his brother, Alexi, pleaded guilty to eight murders.

"I knew what I was doing, and I knew I was wrong," Saenz told the judge. "I came to the U.S., and worked for two years. Then, I went to the streets, and joined the MS-13 gang."

Saenz said he acted as the driver to many of the shootings.

He faces 40 to 60 years behind bars when sentenced on June 13.

The bodies of Cuevas and Mickens were found bludgeoned to death in September 2016. Prosecutors said they had been killed following a dispute at their high school.