Rep. Zeldin Statement on Administration Action Against MS-13 On Long Island

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) issued the following statement following the announcement made in the Oval Office by President Donald Trump, Attorney General William Barr, and other law enforcement officials of the recent crackdown on MS-13, which included 24 charges, including murder, attempted murder and drug trafficking, brought by the Eastern District of New York against eight adult MS-13 members and two minors and the intention to seek the death penalty for the MS-13 leader accused in seven murders across Long Island, including the murder of Brentwood teenage girls, Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas, in 2016:

“For far too long, Long Island has borne witness to the indiscriminate brutality of gang violence at the hands of MS-13. I applaud the recent crackdown by the Department of Justice to remove this ruthless gang and put an end to the violence that plagues our streets. The recent actions taken against MS-13 were a large step towards eradicating gang violence from our neighborhoods, and I look forward to continuing to work with those at every level of government to keep our communities safe.” 

In Congress, Congressman Zeldin has regularly participated in meetings to strengthen the partnership between different levels of government, including multiple meetings that have directly included President Trump, both at the White House and on Long Island. Congressman Zeldin has also worked on legislative efforts in Congress to deliver the resources to help tackle this issue from the federal level as well.