BOSTON — A MS-13 gang member has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in the 2010 murder of a man under a Chelsea bridge, the U.S. Attorney said Thursday.
Adam Rodriguez, a/k/a “Pelon,” 35, was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement. Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young handed down his sentence.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty in July 2024 to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. He was charged in November 2023.
Prosecutors said Rodriguez, along with another MS-13 gang member William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde” and an MS-13 gang leader from Somerville, Jose Vazquez, a/k/a “Cholo” a/k/a “Little Crazy,” conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010 in Chelsea.
Vasquez stabbed the victim in the brutal killing, prosecutors said.
The victim, whom Vasquez and others believed belonged to a rival gang, was found with nearly a dozen stab wounds under the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1, prosecutors said.
That evening, police responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea.
There, police found the victim with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he later died.
A recent re-examination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder, prosecutors said.
MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and elsewhere.
MS-13 branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the U.S., including in Massachusetts, according to authorities.
To maintain and enhance their status in the gang, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks, prosecutors said.
Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Pineda Portillo picked up Rodriguez, Vasquez, other MS-13 members, and the victim in Allston and drove the group to Chelsea.
Once there, Rodriguez, Vasquez, and the other gang members led the victim to an area under the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1.
Once in the secluded area under the highway, an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock, another MS-13 member stabbed the victim with a machete, and Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife, prosecutors said.
Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a silver kitchen knife recovered from the murder scene. Investigators also found the victim’s blood on the knife.
An undercover recording of an MS-13 meeting that took place on Jan. 27, 2011 – approximately six weeks after the murder – captured Rodriguez acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission.
Vasquez was also identified as being present for the meeting.
In July 2025, Vasquez was sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Vasquez was already serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. Prosecutors said Vasquez will serve a total of 37 years for his crimes.
Also in July 2025, Pineda Portillo, who is from El Salvador and is in the U.S. illegally, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Prosecutors said he will be subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW