Police Investigate Possible Gang Ties In Death Of Teen Found In East Boston

Boston police are investigating whether the death of a young man in East Boston is just the latest in a string of stabbings tied to gang activity.

The body of the victim believed to be in his late teens was found on Christmas Eve near Logan International Airport shortly before 11 p.m. An autopsy was being performed on Monday, but police say the victim appears to have been stabbed to death. Authorities have not released any information about the victim's identity.

This incident marks the fifth stabbing death in the area in just over 15 months. All the victims have been teenage boys.

Federal investigators have tied three of those murders to MS-13, the violent international gang with roots in Central America. Boston police also blame the rival 18th Street gang.

The death also marks the second time this December that the body of a teenager has been found in East Boston. A 16-year-old boy was found dead in a marsh on Dec. 9. Police have not released any information on how that teen died.

With reporting by WBUR's Delores Handy