What to Know
- MS-13 has put out a pair of threats against cops in Nassau County, according to Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder
- In one threat, gang members said "it's time to take the streets back and take out a cop like we do in El Salvador"
- Ryder said his department is taking appropriate action to ensure the safety and security" of its officers and medics
Authorities on Long Island, as well as in the city, are on high alert after a pair of threats against cops, one of which called for the execution of a police officer "like we do in El Salvador," believed to stem from a member of one of the globe's most notorious and violent gangs.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers said Friday it was offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in connection with "credible threats of violence" made by the gang MS-13 against police a day earlier. The Nassau County police union added another $25,000, bringing the reward to $50,000.
Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder on Thursday confirmed the threats, one of which was a message stating "police have been making too many arrests and it's time to take the streets back and take out a cop like we do in El Salvador." An informant told police about the threat, according to Newsday, with the gang member saying the enterprise needs to "make a statement."
The second threat suggested someone carrying guns and a mask is planning to execute an officer. Ryder said the department is "taking appropriate action to ensure the safety and security" of its officers and medics.
The death threats targeted police officers in Hempstead, but sources close to the investigation say the NYPD and other agencies are taking the threats just as seriously as their counterparts in Suffolk County.
The threat came the same day that Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested the alleged head of the gang's East Coast operations, Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, on murder conspiracy and drug trafficking charges.
Authorities believe MS-13 has thousands of members across the country, mostly Central American immigrants. There have been 25 suspected MS-13 killings on Long Island in the past two years.
In recent weeks, more transnational gang members have been picked up from hiding spots in New York City.
