MS-13 member gets six years for 'protecting' coke shipment; had earlier attacked rivals in Maverick Square

A federal judge today sentenced Cesar "Cheche" Martinez for his involvement in a local MS-13 gang based in Everett called Eastside Locos Salvatrucha.

A US District Court jury had earlier convicted Martinez on RICO charges for his membership in MS-13 in general, and in particular for his role in serving as an escort for a a 1-kilo shipment of cocaine - which he did not realize at the time was going from one undercover federal agent to another as part of a sting operation.

But according to a sentencing request by federal prosecutors, Martinez created some of the violence for which the local gang was known. In 2008, he and three other MS-13 members went to the Maverick Square Blue Line stop and "attacked a group of gang rivals with a machete, a baseball, and knives before retreating to Martinez’s home." And on Dec. 14, 2014, Martinez drove two of his gang pals from their home base - a garage in Everett - to meet a third gang member in Chelsea so they could kill a rival gang member. Martinez was also involved in planning the murder of an MS-13 member others thought was ratting them out to the feds.

Martinez was one of 61 people arrested in raids aimed at MS-13 in 2016 - 49 of whom have since either pleaded or been found guilty.