Multiple suspected members of the MS-13 gang have been arrested in connection with numerous murders across the state of Maryland, according to court documents.
Seven suspects are charged in two recently unsealed indictments with killings in Baltimore City and Prince George’s County, respectively.
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In November 2023, members of Centrales Locos Salvatruchas, or CLS, an MS-13 clique, constructed a false Instagram account that purported to be a female befriending the victim, identified as C.O. in court filings.
On or around November 30, Eliseo Alexander Lopez Alvarez and other MS-13 members utilized the account to entice C.O. to a secret location in Southeast Baltimore.
Lopez Alvarez, Olvin Josue Posas Alvarenga, and other members encountered the victim at the scene, transported him to a neighboring forested area, and shot and killed him.
Kevin Cuestas and another MS-13 member intended to assassinate someone they suspected of belonging to a rival gang in March 2024.
Cuestas and the other member discovered M.N. (as stated in court filings) on a street in Southeast Baltimore, opened fire on him many times, killing him, and escaped in a getaway car.
Cuestas spoke on a recorded jail line with an imprisoned MS-13 member, telling them that “the waters were hot” since he had recently “eaten a roasted chicken.”
The final suspect, Josue Anibal Guerra Ramos, and another member stand accused of carrying out a double shooting in Southeast Baltimore in April 2024.
Guerra Ramos and the other member opened fire, killing two people, J.C. and M.M., according to court filings.
J.C. was killed in the shooting, while M.M. was wounded.
All four members are charged with RICO.
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice stated that three alleged members of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, appeared in District Court in Maryland for their alleged roles in a racketeering scheme that included murder and drug trafficking.
According to court filings, on July 4, 2024, Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco of El Salvador, Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista of El Salvador, and Josue Mauricio Lainez of Hyattsville, Maryland, reportedly murdered a homeless man.
The next day, a bystander contacted 911 after spotting the victim, who had not been recognized, seated in a blue 2008 Dodge Caravan parked in a Hyattsville used car dealership.
When the police reached the scene, they found the man had sustained a stab wound to his neck.
Surveillance video shows the victim wielding what seems to be a metal stick at Quijano-Cacso, prompting him and his companion to run while the victim returned to the Dodge Caravan.
Later that night, about 11:48 p.m., Quijano-Casco returned to the vehicle with Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and an unnamed man. Surveillance footage shows them unlocking the van’s back sliding door, reaching inside, and moving as if someone had been struck.
On August 23, all three suspects were apprehended by Prince George’s County Police. Officials said they were in possession of a black Ruger P95DC semi-automatic handgun and around eight grams of cocaine when they were arrested.
Quijano-Casco allegedly confirmed to authorities that he stabbed the victim.
“Their actions furthered MS-13’s reign of terror across communities in Maryland.” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division will continue to pursue charges against MS-13 members and associates and will not relent until this dangerous gang is eradicated from our streets.”
“The brutal retaliatory murder of this victim is a chilling reminder of the MS-13 gang’s callous disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Those who assault and kill others must be brought to justice and ultimately held accountable for their actions.”
He, Villanueva-Bautista, and Lainez were all charged with racketeering conspiracy, including murder.
If convicted, each faces a life sentence in jail.
