A member of the MS-13 gang, William Pineda Portillo, also known as “Humilde,” has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a racketeering enterprise in federal court in Boston. The plea was entered for one count of conspiracy to conduct racketeering affairs through a pattern of activity. Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young has scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025.
Pineda Portillo was charged in September 2024 alongside co-defendant Jose Vasquez, who admitted guilt last week to violent crime in aid of racketeering. MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization with members across several countries, including the United States and Central America. Members are required to commit acts of violence against rival gangs and informants.
Pineda Portillo belonged to the Trece Locos Salvatrucha clique operating in Somerville and participated in violent activities on behalf of MS-13. He and Vasquez were involved in the murder of a 28-year-old man on December 18, 2010, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Law enforcement found the victim with multiple stab wounds after responding to a call near Route 1.
In April 2015, Pineda Portillo returned to the U.S. from El Salvador and attempted to sell a firearm to an undercover witness cooperating with law enforcement. Later that year, he conspired to murder another MS-13 member whom he mistakenly believed was cooperating with authorities.
Initially indicted in 2017 but deported before it was returned, Pineda Portillo was arrested while attempting re-entry into Texas from Mexico on May 10, 2022. A fingerprint analysis confirmed his identity as an MS-13 member wanted by authorities.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley along with other law enforcement officials from various agencies involved in the case’s investigation and prosecution efforts.
The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine based on federal guidelines.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative aimed at dismantling significant criminal organizations through collaborative multi-agency operations.
