Elvis Mauricio Maradiaga, a 23-year-old from Bladensburg, Maryland, has been sentenced to 108 months in federal prison for his involvement with the 18th Street gang. This sentencing concludes a significant investigation into the gang's criminal activities both locally and internationally.
In February 2023, a grand jury indicted 12 members of the gang on charges including racketeering conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, and kidnapping. Six defendants were found guilty at trial in April and May 2024 and received life sentences. Five others pleaded guilty with sentences ranging from eight to forty years.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent Sean Ryan, ICE Deputy Director Russ Hott, and MPD Chief Pamela Smith announced these sentences.
The gang operates in Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Central America. Their crimes include murder, kidnapping, assault, robbery, witness intimidation, firearms trafficking, and narcotics distribution.
"The sentencing of these violent criminals should send a clear message: transnational gangs like 18th Street have no place in our communities," said U.S. Attorney Martin Jr.
Court documents reveal that violence is used by members to maintain status within the gang. They also engage in narcotics and weapons trafficking to fund their operations.
Founded in Los Angeles with up to 50,000 members globally, the gang is divided into smaller groups or "cliques" such as Tiny Locos Sureños (TLS) and Los Crazy Brothers (LCB).
The investigation began in 2019 covering various crimes committed by the gang around Washington D.C. Notable cases include shootings on May 21st and December 19th of 2021 resulting in deaths and attempted murders.
Milton Benjamin Guevara-Villatoro was extradited from El Salvador for pending trials related to his alleged involvement in violent incidents dating back to September 2019.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aiming to dismantle high-level criminal organizations through collaborative law enforcement efforts.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack F. Korba, Will Hart along with Sitara Witanachchi prosecuted this case alongside former Assistant U.S Attorneys Gilead Light and Christopher Marin.