3 alleged MS-13 gang members charged with fatally stabbing homeless Maryland man

The Department of Justice on Wednesday charged three alleged MS-13 gang members for their reported role in a racketeering conspiracy that involved drug trafficking and murder, according to a press release.

Defendants Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco, 24, of El Salvador; Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista, 19, of El Salvador; and Josue Mauricio Lainez, 21, of Hyattsville, Maryland, have been arraigned on charges in the US District Court for the District of Maryland.

Court documents stated that the three defendants allegedly killed a homeless man on July 5, 2024, as part of their involvement with MS-13, a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO). The victim was discovered deceased by law enforcement with a stab wound to the neck after a passerby called 911. Video surveillance footage from a nearby business captured the killing, investigators said.

At approximately 11:35 pm, Quijano-Casco and another individual approached the victim, who had been wielding an object that resembled a metal pole, according to video surveillance. Quijano-Casco fled on foot with the other person. The three co-defendants and the other individual returned around 15 minutes later to the victim, who had been sitting in a Dodge Caravan. The group approached the victim's vehicle at 11:48 pm, opened the van's rear sliding door, reached inside, and moved as if they were striking someone, according to the press release.




 

On August 23, 2024, Quijano-Casco and Villanueva-Bautista were arrested by Prince George's County Police. Authorities said Quijano-Casco was in possession of a black Ruger P95DC semi-automatic handgun, eight grams of cocaine, and allegedly admitted to investigators that he had stabbed the victim. Villanueva-Bautista allegedly told authorities that he was present during the altercation where the victim was murdered, according to court documents.

"As alleged, the 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 of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Their actions furthered MS-13's reign of terror across communities in Maryland. 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 three defendants have each been charged with racketeering conspiracy, including murder. If convicted, Quijano-Casco, Villanueva-Bautista, and Lainez face a maximum penalty of life in prison. 

The FBI and Prince George's County Police Department are investigating the case.