A gruesome case of gang violence has shaken Maryland, with a 23-year-old MS-13 member pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise. Wilmer Argueta, also known as ‘Chengo,’ admitted to being a leader of the Peajes Locos Salvatrucha clique of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States.
According to court documents, Argueta and other MS-13 members committed crimes to further the interests of the gang, including murder, assault, robbery, extortion by threat of violence, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and witness retaliation. The charges spanned from 2009 until at least 2012.
One particularly heinous incident occurred on January 3, 2010, when Argueta and other MS-13 members attempted to kidnap and assault two victims in the area of East-West Highway and Riggs Road. After the victims fled, several MS-13 members caught one of them in a nearby wooded area and sexually assaulted her as retribution for associating with a rival gang.
In another incident, on January 13, 2011, Argueta attended a Peajes clique meeting near the Greenbelt Metro Station. A co-defendant, Roni Arriola-Palma, was present, and another MS-13 member spoke at the meeting, criticizing members for not committing enough violent crimes on behalf of MS-13. After the meeting, Argueta and other MS-13 members got into a mini-van driven by Arriola-Palma and attacked a person they believed was an associate of a rival gang.
The victim was dragged back into the mini-van and continued to be assaulted. Arriola-Palma drove the mini-van around Hyattsville, eventually parking near a dead end. Argueta and several other MS-13 members kicked, stabbed, and choked the victim, stripping him of his clothing in the process. The victim survived the attack.
Argueta’s guilty plea marks a significant victory for law enforcement, who have been working tirelessly to dismantle MS-13’s operations in Maryland. The case highlights the brutality and ruthlessness of this violent gang, and serves as a reminder of the importance of continued efforts to combat gang violence.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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