Three alleged members of the MS-13 gang in Maryland have been charged with racketeering conspiracy involving murder and drug trafficking. This development comes as Kilmar Abrego Garcia, another suspected MS-13 member, remains on trial in a separate high-profile case.
The Department of Justice announced the new charges against Salvadoran nationals Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco, 24, Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista, 19, and 21-year-old Josue Mauricio Lainez from Hyattsville. Authorities allege the men killed a homeless man on July 4, 2024, in what is described as a retaliatory gang-related attack.
According to the DOJ, the victim was found the next day inside a blue Dodge Caravan parked at a used car lot in Hyattsville. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the man threatening Quijano-Casco with a pole before fleeing to the van. Quijano-Casco then returned with Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and a fourth individual. The group is seen opening the van’s door and attacking someone inside. Police later discovered the victim with fatal stab wounds to the neck.
Authorities arrested Quijano-Casco and Villanueva-Bautista on August 23. Quijano-Casco was found carrying a semi-automatic handgun and eight grams of cocaine. Both suspects confessed to being present during the incident, and Quijano-Casco allegedly admitted to the stabbing.
All three men are charged with racketeering conspiracy, including the July 4 murder. If convicted, they could face life in prison. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti described the killing as a “senseless murder” carried out in exchange for drugs and gang promotion, further fueling MS-13’s violent influence in Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes called it a “brutal retaliatory murder” that highlights the gang’s disregard for human life. She pledged continued efforts to dismantle violent organizations that threaten community safety.
Meanwhile, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, also a Salvadoran national, faces separate charges related to human smuggling. Prosecutors say he played a major role in an MS-13-linked smuggling operation that moved women, children, and gang members across the U.S. over nearly 10 years. Arrested in 2019 in Hyattsville, Garcia was identified by local police as a confirmed MS-13 member.
