Four individuals have been charged in a racketeering conspiracy:The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted six alleged members of MS-13, one of Mexico’s most brutal gangs.
The DOJ indicted two individuals from Annapolis for murder in aid of racketeering activity:
The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury last month and was unsealed on May 9, according to a statement released by the DOJ. According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants were leaders and members of an MS-13 sub-unit named Hollywood Locos Salvadorians Clique, which operated in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and other areas. From at least December 2018, the defendants were involved in murder, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking, according to the indictment. Investigators concluded that the criminal acts were allegedly sanctioned by MS-13 leadership in order to create fear and help the gang expand its territory, enforce discipline, punish acts of disrespect, intimidate witnesses, and discourage cooperation with police. MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is an international gang known for its involvement in drug and human trafficking, prostitution, murder, and extortion. It was founded in Los Angeles, California in the early 1980s by individuals from El Salvador. “Street gangs threaten the well-being of our communities and spread violence, fear, and intimidation,” U.S. Attorney Dena J. King said in the statement. “Our coordinated law enforcement efforts prioritize the investigation and prosecution of dangerous gangs to dismantle their operations and disrupt their criminal activities.” The defendants were apprehended through the work of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which is led by prosecutors and is a multi-agency operation. OCDETF was created in 1982 and is a tool used by the U.S. Attorney General to combat transnational organized crime networks. “Finding, arresting and prosecuting those involved in gang activity greatly increases public safety and makes a dramatic impact in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Burns. “Cases like this reflect that great work that we and our law enforcement partners do to protect the homeland.”
