Abraham Iraheta, Racketeering, New York 2024

Brooklyn, New York – In a major blow to the violent international gang La Mara Salvatrucha, known as MS-13, Abraham Iraheta, a member of the Flushing, Queens, chapter, pleaded guilty on Monday to racketeering and murder conspiracy charges in federal court. When sentenced, Iraheta faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.

Iraheta, known in the gang as ‘Lobo,’ was charged with attacking the father of a rival gang member with a machete, among other violent crimes. As part of his plea, Iraheta admitted to being a member of MS-13, conspiring to kill members of a rival gang, and plotting to kill a disfavored associate of the gang.

This guilty plea is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of MS-13, a violent international street gang comprised primarily of immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Since 2002, more than 200 MS-13 members, including more than two dozen clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. More than 100 of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Darren A. LaVerne, Tali Farhadian, and Kevin Trowel.

MS-13 is the largest street gang in the Eastern District of New York, with a strong presence in immigrant communities in Queens and Long Island. The gang’s violent crimes have had a devastating impact on the communities they target.

This week’s convictions are another important step toward ending the gang’s influence in our communities and bringing a measure of justice to the victims and their families. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly to eradicate MS-13 from the district and elsewhere.

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