GREENBELT, Md. — Three alleged members of the MS-13 gang appeared in federal court in Maryland on Tuesday, charged in a racketeering conspiracy that includes a fatal stabbing, drug trafficking, and gang-related violence.
Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco, 24; Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista, 19; and Josue Mauricio Lainez, 21, were indicted in connection with the July 4, 2024, killing of a man in Hyattsville, Maryland. All three are alleged members of La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13.
Federal prosecutors said the men carried out the stabbing as part of their efforts to gain standing within the gang. Surveillance footage from a nearby business captured portions of the attack, which occurred at a used car lot where the victim, described as a homeless man, was found dead inside a blue 2008 Dodge Caravan with a neck wound.
According to the charges, Quijano-Casco initially confronted the victim around 11:35 p.m. The footage shows the victim holding what appeared to be a metal pole, prompting Quijano-Casco and another individual to retreat. Roughly 15 minutes later, Quijano-Casco returned with Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and a fourth unidentified individual. At approximately 11:48 p.m., the four approached the van and opened its sliding door before making repeated movements indicating an assault.
The victim remained inside the vehicle and did not reappear after the incident.
On August 23, Quijano-Casco and Villanueva-Bautista were arrested by Prince George’s County Police. Authorities said Quijano-Casco was carrying a semi-automatic handgun and about eight grams of cocaine. Both men admitted to being present during the killing, and Quijano-Casco allegedly confessed to stabbing the victim.
“These defendants are MS-13 members who carried out a brutal and senseless murder in exchange for promotions within the gang and drugs,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti.
Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, and Lainez each face charges of racketeering conspiracy. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison.