Court proceedings began Tuesday in Greenbelt in the highly anticipated trial of two MS-13 gang members charged in connection with a series of violent incidents in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
Edgar Ayala, 29, of Suitland, and Oscar Ramos Velasquez, 21, of Baltimore, are two of 22 total alleged gang members who have been indicted by the Maryland’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. So far three have pleaded guilty, with the rest expected to stand trial in the spring.
MS-13, an abbreviated name for Mara Salvatrucha, is said to be 10,000 members strong in 10 U.S. states as well as several South American countries. In the D.C. area, MS-13 is by far the largest gang, although police have said the Bloods and Crips have a definite presence as well.
Marcy Murphy, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said the court case of Ayala and Velasquez could very well last a month or more based on the breadth of allegations against them and their organization.
According to the 32-count indictment filed by U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein, the gang is accused of committing six murders and four attempted murders between 2001 and April 2006.
During that time frame, it’s also alleged that MS-13 members in both Maryland counties shot at a crowd of youngsters, sexually assaulted two females and intimidated witnesses in other court cases.
Prosecutors will seek to prove that Ayala and Velasquez were active members of MS-13 and that the violent actions taken by gang members were part of an ongoing criminal enterprise. Murphy said they are facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The arrests are part of a larger effort recently undertaken by Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties to combat the widespread problem of gang activity in each jurisdiction.
