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Seven Suspected MS-13 Members Make Initial Federal Court Appearances in Maryland RICO Case

The indictment documents luring tactics via fake Instagram profiles with jailhouse code words that prosecutors say justify life-sentence bids

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Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises, right, hugs Rosa Funez, the mother of Ivan Carlos Oseguera-Funez, one of the eleven city school students lost to gun violence this school year. They were joined by Mayor Brandon Scott, school staff and families at the 7th annual Peace and Remembrance Day held outside North Avenue headquarters. (Amy Davis/Staff photo)

Overview

  • A federal indictment unsealed July 9–16 charges seven alleged MS-13 members with racketeering conspiracy tied to murders and drug trafficking in Baltimore and Hyattsville, Maryland.
  • Four Baltimore suspects are accused of killing a teenager in December 2023 and two more victims in March and April 2024 using deceptive lures under the direction of a higher-ranking gang member.
  • Prosecutors document suspects employing a fake Instagram account to lure a victim and intercepting jail calls with coded phrases like “working today” to signal attacks.
  • Three Prince George’s County defendants face charges for a July 4, 2024, killing of a homeless man in Hyattsville, with surveillance video showing the assault inside a parked van.
  • The defendants made initial federal court appearances this week and face up to life imprisonment if convicted as the Department of Justice intensifies its RICO-based strategy against MS-13.