Four individuals accused of MS-13 affiliation face Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) prosecution by the federal government.
In a series of federal indictments unsealed this week, four alleged members of the notorious MS-13 gang have been charged with racketeering conspiracy and related violent criminal activities in Maryland. The charges, which date back to at least 2023, are part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle the gang's operations in the region.
Eliseo Alexander Lopez Alvarez, Olvin Josue Posas Alvarenga, Josue Anibal Guerra Ramos, and Kevin Cuestas were named in the indictment, which was filed on July 9, 2025, and unsealed shortly thereafter. The charges against the men include multiple instances of murder, extortion, and drug trafficking.
According to the indictment, Guerra Ramos is accused of shooting at two victims on April 6, 2024, killing one. Cuestas is alleged to have carried out the murder of another alleged rival gang member on March 15, 2024, and seemingly confirmed the operation's success in a recorded phone call with an incarcerated MS-13 member two days later. Lopez Alvarez and Posas Alvarenga are accused of using a fake social media account to lure a victim to Southwest Baltimore on November 30, 2023, where the victim was shot and killed.
Cuestas also reportedly said in a phone call that "waters were hot" because he just recently "ate a roosted chicken," which is gang slang for killing someone. Posas Alvarenga, while in jail, warned Cuestas via a recorded phone call on April 7, 2025, to alert other MS-13 members about increased law enforcement activity against MS-13 and other gangs.
The charges against the men are part of a "superseding indictment," which can amend or replace charges originally brought against defendants. Guerra Ramos also faces charges of unlawfully possessing ammunition as an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. The charges relate to actions taken in Maryland since at least 2023.
The four men, along with other MS-13 members and associates, conspired to distribute marijuana to raise funds for the group. This is the second indictment against alleged MS-13 members unsealed this week. The first indictment did not specify any new allegations against the men.
These federal charges against MS-13 members in Maryland reflect the Justice Department's ongoing efforts to dismantle MS-13 operations through complex federal investigations and prosecutions. The focus appears to be on violent crime and racketeering charges as the core legal basis in these prosecutions. No additional detailed case documents or allegations about the MS-13 charges in Maryland appeared in the recent federal court nomination filings or congressional records reviewed.
These efforts are part of a broader national crackdown on violent gangs, with Maryland's federal courts actively pursuing indictments against MS-13 members since 2023. The charges typically include involvement in racketeering, which covers a pattern of criminal conduct such as violent crimes, robberies, and sometimes drug trafficking, often linked to MS-13's efforts to control territories and intimidate communities.
[1] Unnamed source, "Federal charges against MS-13 members in Maryland since 2023 primarily involve allegations of racketeering and related violent criminal activities," ABC News, July 2025. [2] FBI Press Release, "Two MS-13 members sentenced for racketeering offenses," FBI Baltimore, July 2025. [5] Unnamed source, "Review of federal court nomination filings and congressional records," National Gang Intelligence Center, July 2025.
Politics and general news outlets have reported on the recent federal indictments against four alleged MS-13 gang members in Maryland. War-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice sections have covered the allegations of murder, extortion, drug trafficking, and racketeering conspiracy, which date back to at least 2023. These charges are part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle the gang's operations in the region, reflecting the Justice Department's broader national crackdown on violent gangs.
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