MS-13 Member Yanes-Vasquez Pleads Guilty to Cocaine RICO

BOSTON – The grimy streets of Boston are no longer safe for drug kingpins as Efrain Yanes-Vasquez, also known as ‘Caballo,’ has been caught with his hand in the cocaine pie. Today, this MS-13 member took a guilty plea in federal court for his role in RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

The 35-year-old El Salvadorian national, residing in Chelsea and Pittsfield, Mass., is facing serious charges that could land him behind bars for nearly seven years. Sentencing is scheduled for July 27, 2017, with the prosecution recommending an 87-month sentence. Upon release, Yanes-Vasquez is to be deported.

This conviction follows a lengthy three-year investigation into MS-13’s Eastside Loco Salvatrucha (ESLS) clique in Massachusetts. According to court documents, this violent transnational criminal organization has no qualms about violence and murder against its rivals to maintain order within its ranks. Yanes-Vasquez was pinpointed as an active member of the ESLS clique.

In a chilling display of MS-13’s drug-running operations, Yanes-Vasquez, along with other gang members, plotted the transport and distribution of large quantities of cocaine across state lines. His September 2016 arrest in Pittsfield resulted in the seizure of a firearm from his residence.

The RICO conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, while the cocaine distribution charge calls for at least 20 years imprisonment. Actual sentences are usually less severe. Yanes-Vasquez is the fifteenth defendant to face justice in this case.

Today’s announcement was made by a coalition of law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Massachusetts State Police, and various local sheriffs and district attorneys.