MS-13 associate sentenced to decades in prison for brutal killing of Queens teenager

New York City, New York – An MS-13 associate was sentenced to decades in prison for the killing of a 17-year-old boy lured to his death in a Queens park. At the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Oscar Flores-Mejia, also known as “Chamuco,” received a 45-year prison sentence for the murder of Andy Peralta. Prosecutors said the killing was deliberate, calculated, and rooted in gang rivalry.

Flores-Mejia was not alone in the crime. Co-defendants Juan Amaya-Ramirez, also known as “Cadaver,” and Leyla Carranza were previously sentenced for their roles in the killing, receiving prison terms of 45 years and 22 years, respectively.

Federal officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations announced the sentencing and emphasized the severity of the crime.

“The senselessness of this murder is matched only by its brutality,” said United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendants lured Andy Peralta to a secluded part of Kissena Park where they beat him mercilessly before Amaya-Ramirez choked him to death and Flores-Mejia hacked at him with a knife. The murder of this teenager is a chilling reminder of MS-13’s callous disregard for human life. Bringing those who commit violent crimes to justice is one of our Office’s highest priorities.”

Lured to a secluded park and killed

Evidence presented during the case showed the defendants targeted Peralta because they believed he had ties to the rival 18th Street gang. Flores-Mejia discovered an online video showing Peralta briefly flashing a hand sign associated with that gang. Though they did not know him personally, the defendants decided he should be killed.

Flores-Mejia recruited a 16-year-old boy to help carry out the murder. Carranza, who was Amaya-Ramirez’s girlfriend at the time, befriended Peralta and arranged to meet him.

On the day of the killing, Carranza messaged Peralta and led him to a predetermined location inside Kissena Park in Flushing. Waiting there were Flores-Mejia, Amaya-Ramirez, and the teenage accomplice. Flores-Mejia brought a knife and black winter gloves in preparation for the attack.

When Peralta arrived, Flores-Mejia signaled the others, and they launched a violent assault. The attackers beat him relentlessly until they were exhausted. Amaya-Ramirez then strangled him while Flores-Mejia stomped on his head. During the attack, Peralta pleaded for his life and cried out for his parents.

Flores-Mejia forced dirt into the teenager’s mouth to silence him while Amaya-Ramirez choked him to death. Flores-Mejia then stabbed him in the back and slashed the tattoo of his girlfriend’s name.

After the killing, the attackers posed for a photograph over Peralta’s body while flashing MS-13 hand signs. They stole his money and dragged his body to a nearby body of water, where it was discovered the following day.

“MS-13’s pattern of savagery, depravity and instilling terror in our communities while treating human life as expendable will not be tolerated,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “May today’s sentencing send a clear message: those who commit murder and gang violence for a foreign terrorist organization like MS-13 will be held accountable. The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to dismantling all dangerous organizations and protecting our neighborhoods.”

“MS-13’s violence is methodical, premeditated, and ruthless —its depravity laid bare in the horrific and senseless murder of Andy Peralta in Kissena Park, NY. No prison sentence can ever restore what was stolen from his family, who are forced to endure the lifelong trauma of such unimaginable brutality,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “HSI New York and our law enforcement partners stand resolute in our mission to dismantle MS-13 and protect our communities from further acts of unspeakable violence.”

Ongoing federal crackdown on MS-13

Authorities said the sentencing is part of a broader federal effort targeting MS-13, a transnational gang whose leadership originated in El Salvador and Honduras but now has thousands of members across the United States.

Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members — including clique leaders — have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. Many were convicted under racketeering laws for murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010 alone, federal indictments in the district have charged MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders, resulting in convictions of numerous leaders and members.

The investigation was conducted by federal and local law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which includes agents and officers from the FBI and the New York City Police Department.

Prosecutors from the Organized Crime & Gangs Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office handled the case.

For the family of Andy Peralta, the sentences bring accountability but cannot undo the loss. For law enforcement officials, the outcome stands as a warning that gang violence will be met with sustained and relentless prosecution.