45 Gang Members, Including Some Linked to MS-13, Arrested in Long Island Sweep: Authorities

What to Know

45 suspected gang members were arrested in a sweep on Long Island, authorities say
Some of the alleged gang members are linked to MS-13, which has been responsible for 20 killings on Long Island in the past year and a half
Gang violence has plagued Long Island, with high school students being hacked to death with machetes, authorities say

Law enforcement officials say they have arrested 45 suspected gang members or affiliates during a recent crackdown in the metropolitan New York area.

They say the joint initiative by federal and local law enforcement included 39 linked to the MS-13 gang. Authorities say the gang has been responsible for nearly 20 killings on Long Island in the past 18 months.

Many of those killings have centered on the Brentwood and Central Islip communities. Victims have included high school students.

The rising tide of gang violence across New York is getting Albany’s attention. The state Senate is considering arming law enforcement with new, tougher tools to fight the gangs. Wale Aliyu reports.

The majority of arrests were in Suffolk County, where authorities rounded up 33 suspects on a variety of charges.

Those arrested, all of them male, include nationals from El Salvador (27); Honduras (11); Mexico (5); and Guatemala (2).