What to Know
- FBI agents were digging out in Babylon on Long Island Thursday, and sources say it's related to an investigation into MS-13
- The sources say they're looking for the remains of a possible victim of MS-13 who went missing in 2015 after he resisted joining the gang
- Dozens of killings and disappearances in the tri-state area in recent years are believed to be linked to the extremely dangerous MS-13
FBI agents are digging near railroad tracks at a dead-end street on Long Island, working to recover what they believe are human remains, officials say.
A spokeswoman says the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force is in the area of Ralph Avenue at North Railroad Avenue in Babylon. She said it was clear from the condition of the remains that "they've been at the site for an extended period of time, and will require forensic testing to determine the identity."
"We don't have any information to suggest this is associated with an imminent threat to the safety of the community in Babylon," said the spokeswoman, AMy Thoreson.
Two law enforcement sources say the feds are digging for someone they believe resisted joining an MS-13 gang and was killed in retaliation.
The sources said they believe they know who the victim is but will not reveal his name until the remains are found and confirmed, and the family is notified.
The victim went missing in 2015.
The MS-13 gang is a major international criminal enterprise with tens of thousands of members in several Central American countries and many U.S. states, including a heavy presence on Long Island, where its members have been blamed for at least 30 killings since 2010, in Queens and in parts of northern New Jersey.
The gruesome slayings of two teenage best friends, Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas, on Long Island in 2016, put a spotlight on the gang's dangers in the area.
