BALTIMORE — Recently, additional federal indictments have been issued against members of the notorious Central American gang known as MS-13, based in Baltimore.
Federal prosecutors have officially charged 25-year-old Manuel Alexander Lara Morales, who is believed to be the leader of the gang’s “CLS clique,” alongside 24-year-old Miguel Riva Salvador.
These two individuals join a growing list of MS-13 members who have faced federal charges since July, including 23-year-old Eliseo Alexander Lopez Alvarez, 21-year-old Kevin Cuestas, 23-year-old Olvin Josue Posas Alvarenga, and 20-year-old Josue Anibal Guerra Ramos.
Together, these men are implicated in a conspiracy under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, with at least four murders linked to their activities.
For instance, federal authorities claim that Lara Morales and Lopez Alvarez orchestrated the murder of a man in September 2023 related to drug activity.
The gang allegedly tracked down the victim at a library and enticed him into a wooded area in Southeast Baltimore, where they purportedly executed him in a manner reminiscent of a firing squad.
It was five days later when the victim’s body was discovered.
As a part of their involvement in this murder, Cuestas and Posas Alvarenga earned their membership in the gang.
Posas Alvarenga has also been implicated in at least two other violent incidents.
In one case, the victim was expected to provide testimony against Riva Salvador in an ongoing local criminal matter.
Together with Guerra Ramos, the trio tracked down the potential witness behind his residence and shot him multiple times. Fortunately, he survived the assault.
The third incident involving Posas Alvarenga occurred in November 2023, with assistance from Lopez Alvarez under the orders of Lara Morales.
According to prosecutors, the pair used a fabricated Instagram account, pretending to be a woman, to entice their next target.
When the victim agreed to meet in Southeast Baltimore, he was shot dead.
Meanwhile, Cuestas and Riva Salvador reportedly targeted and killed a man in March 2024.
By the following month, Guerra Ramos was involved in another violent act, which resulted in a double shooting, leading to one fatality.
