Alleged MS-13 gang member pleads not guilty to 2017 second-degree murder charge

A 21-year-old alleged member of MS-13 pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges in Mineola court Thursday.

News 12 Staff

Jul 18, 2019, 4:47 PM

Updated 1,736 days ago

Share:

A 21-year-old alleged member of MS-13 pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges in Mineola court Thursday.
Prosecutors say Luis Alejandro Varela is the sixth and final defendant to be arrested and now charged for the August 2017 murder of a man whose body was found buried in the sump in East Meadow off the Meadowbrook Parkway.
Varela, 21, was brought to court in Mineola for his arraignment on a murder in the second-degree charge.
Police say he and five other members of MS-13 killed 22-year-old Carlos Rivas Majano. His body was found in 2018.
"We allege they lured Majano into the woods near the Meadowbrook Parkway and Glenn Curtis Boulevard, where he was brutally hacked and murdered with machetes," says Nassau District Attorney Madeline Singas.
Police say Majano was also a member of MS-13 who was suspected of violating gang rules. Sources have said the gang believed Majano was cooperating with law enforcement.
Varela's court-appointed attorney said he has no prior criminal history. He was held without bail on the murder charge.
Varela and the five others were indicted in November, but Varela wasn't arrested until Wednesday when police say he went to at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services in Holtsville to apply for U.S. citizenship. 
In a statement, ICE says, "On July 18, ICE lodged a detainer with Nassau County on Luis Barela-Hernandez, an illegally present Salvadoran national, after his arrest by federal and local law enforcement authorities for murder. ICE will seek to take custody of him upon his release from local custody. Barela-Hernandez was previously encountered by immigration authorities in April 2015 and was released with reporting reporting requirements to ICE."
One of the six people arrested in the case has already been sentenced to 32 years to life after pleading guilty in March.
Varela is due back in court Monday with one of his alleged co-defendants.
 
 
 


More from News 12
2:50
Lyndhurst In Bloom flower show is this weekend at Lyndhurst Mansion

Lyndhurst In Bloom flower show is this weekend at Lyndhurst Mansion

2:03
Dry morning for Friday throughout the Hudson Valley before evening showers roll in

Dry morning for Friday throughout the Hudson Valley before evening showers roll in

Vote 2024: Ask your questions for Congressional District 16 Democratic candidates

Vote 2024: Ask your questions for Congressional District 16 Democratic candidates

0:24
Holtec International sues NYS over law banning discharge of radiological waste into the Hudson

Holtec International sues NYS over law banning discharge of radiological waste into the Hudson

0:29
Cortlandt community composting program accepting food scraps

Cortlandt community composting program accepting food scraps

0:26
Rifton USPS in Ulster County closed indefinitely due to safety hazard

Rifton USPS in Ulster County closed indefinitely due to safety hazard

0:21
The Orange County Land Trust launches wilderness campaign effort

The Orange County Land Trust launches wilderness campaign effort

0:46
Westchester County’s Environmental Facilities hosted its 5th annual Eco Awards

Westchester County’s Environmental Facilities hosted its 5th annual Eco Awards

0:12
Police: Woman hurt in Yonkers stabbing

Police: Woman hurt in Yonkers stabbing

0:50
Bark Air is launching flights catered to dogs out of Westchester County Airport

Bark Air is launching flights catered to dogs out of Westchester County Airport

1:40
Preliminary report uncovers over 100 potential unmarked burials at historic Rye cemetery

Preliminary report uncovers over 100 potential unmarked burials at historic Rye cemetery

0:43
City of Yonkers to run Nepperhan Community Center following financial mismanagement report

City of Yonkers to run Nepperhan Community Center following financial mismanagement report

Is your mom awesome? Hudson Valley tell us why your Mom Rocks!

Is your mom awesome? Hudson Valley tell us why your Mom Rocks!

0:54
Guide: How to host Passover on a budget

Guide: How to host Passover on a budget

0:56
Retail prevention plan to include harsher penalties, additional patrols

Retail prevention plan to include harsher penalties, additional patrols

1:47
'Evening in Good Taste' helps feed hungry in Westchester County

'Evening in Good Taste' helps feed hungry in Westchester County

0:40
Authorities: Mahopac man captured sexually explicit images of children with hidden camera

Authorities: Mahopac man captured sexually explicit images of children with hidden camera

0:30
Hearing for New City stabbing suspect rescheduled for next week

Hearing for New City stabbing suspect rescheduled for next week

0:53
Carmel School District closes in on budget agreement following months of debates

Carmel School District closes in on budget agreement following months of debates

0:44
Greenburgh's ex-Parks and Recreation commissioner honored with renaming of multipurpose center

Greenburgh's ex-Parks and Recreation commissioner honored with renaming of multipurpose center