Oscar Ernesto Delgado-Perez, a 26-year-old from Gaithersburg, Maryland, known as “Complicado” and “Indio,” was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for his role in a violent MS-13 racketeering conspiracy that included murder, drug distribution, and extortion. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis handed down the sentence today in Greenbelt, Maryland, followed by five years of supervised release, marking a major blow to the gang’s operations in the region.
Delgado-Perez, a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatrucha (“SLSW”) clique, admitted in his plea agreement to participating in a coordinated attack on June 16, 2016, in Malcolm King Park, Gaithersburg. Alongside other MS-13 members, he ambushed a man they believed to be affiliated with the rival 18th Street gang. Lured by a female co-conspirator, the victim was stabbed multiple times in a premeditated assault aimed at enforcing gang dominance and instilling fear.
The plot unfolded over two days, with Delgado-Perez helping plan the murder on June 15 and executing the attack the following night. The gang’s creed—“Mata, roba, viola, controla” (“kill, steal, rape, control”)—was on full display, prosecutors said, as members used brutality to maintain control and retaliate against perceived threats. The victim survived the attack, but the intent to kill was unmistakable and central to the racketeering charges.
Beyond violence, Delgado-Perez admitted to distributing cocaine and marijuana for the gang in 2016, feeding both addiction and terror in local communities. His activities supported MS-13’s broader criminal enterprise, which spans Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Frederick Counties. The gang’s “Programs,” coalitions of cliques like PVLS, NLS, LPS, and Cabanas, operate with military precision to expand influence and evade law enforcement.
“We will not tolerate the violence perpetrated by MS-13 in Maryland,” declared U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “Today’s sentence sends a strong message: federal, state, and local law enforcement will hunt down and prosecute every member who commits these heinous crimes.” Agencies involved included the DEA, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Montgomery and Prince George’s County Police, and both state’s attorneys’ offices.
Acting HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant called MS-13’s foundation “unadulterated evil.” The gang, primarily composed of Salvadoran immigrants and their descendants, thrives on fear, loyalty, and extreme violence. With Delgado-Perez behind bars for decades, investigators hope to disrupt the gang’s recruitment and operational reach—but warn the fight is far from over.
Related Federal Cases
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- Cruz Flores ‘Bruja’ Gets Life for MS-13 Throat-Slitting Murder · Maryland
- MS-13 Killer Flaco Gets Life for Beltsville Murder · Maryland
- Adrian Spence AKA ‘AJ’ Gets 10 Years for Heroin Ring · Maryland
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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