Edwin Rodriguez, a member of the MS-13 gang, pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the murders of four young men on Long Island in 2017. The victims were Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre, and Jefferson Villalobos. Rodriguez, also known as “Manicomio,” was 24 years old at the time of his plea. He admitted to participating in the brutal killings, which were part of a larger scheme of gang violence that targeted rival gang members perceived to have disrespected MS-13 on social media.
The attack took place in a wooded park in Central Islip, where the victims were lured under the pretense of smoking marijuana. Instead, they were met by nearly a dozen MS-13 members and associates armed with machetes, knives, an axe, and wooden clubs. The victims were hacked, stabbed, and bludgeoned to death, with their bodies discovered the following evening. Rodriguez fled the U.S. after the killings but was arrested in El Salvador in 2019 and extradited to the U.S. in 2022.
Rodriguez’s lawyer, Glenn Obedin, expressed relief that Rodriguez had reached a plea deal and was ready to move on to the next phase of the proceedings and his life. Rodriguez faces up to life in prison for the crimes. The incident highlighted the deepening problem of gang violence in the suburbs east of New York City, where MS-13, originating as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles, has grown into a transnational gang with members in Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and thousands of members across the United States, including numerous branches or “cliques”.
The MS-13 gang has been involved in numerous grisly gang-related deaths, including other murders, attempted murders, and arson, underscoring the severity of gang violence in the region. The case of Edwin Rodriguez and the subsequent plea deal serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle against gang violence and the importance of justice for victims and their families.
