GREENBELT, Md. — Three alleged members and associates of MS-13 have been indicted in federal court for their roles in a RICO conspiracy involving the fatal stabbing of a homeless man and drug trafficking, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco, 24, and Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista, 19 — both nationals of El Salvador — and Josue Mauricio Lainez, 21, of Hyattsville, Maryland, made their initial appearances in the District of Maryland following their arrests.
Court documents detail that on July 4, 2024, the three men allegedly carried out a coordinated attack resulting in the death of a homeless man. The next day, a passerby discovered the victim’s body inside a blue 2008 Dodge Caravan parked in a used-car lot in Hyattsville and contacted authorities.
Upon responding to the scene, investigators located the deceased male, who appeared to have suffered a stab wound to the neck. Surveillance video from a neighboring business showed that at approximately 11:35 p.m. on July 4, Quijano-Casco and another individual approached the victim, who then brandished a metal pole in response. Quijano-Casco and the other person fled the area, and the victim returned to the van.
Roughly 15 minutes later, Quijano-Casco returned to the scene accompanied by Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez, and another individual. At 11:48 p.m., video footage shows the group approaching the van, opening the driver-side sliding door, and making repeated striking motions into the vehicle. The victim was not seen exiting the van afterward.
“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.
On August 23, Prince George’s County Police arrested Quijano-Casco and Villanueva-Bautista. Quijano-Casco was found with a black Ruger P95DC semi-automatic handgun and eight grams of cocaine. During questioning, both men admitted to being present during the fatal altercation. Quijano-Casco stated he stabbed the man but claimed it was in self-defense.
All three defendants are charged with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Authorities say surveillance footage and confessions from the suspects were critical in building the case.
The investigation was led by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Federal prosecutors say the three suspects carried out the attack as part of MS-13’s operations in the region.
