MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder of Greenbelt Man

GREENBELT, MD — A 21-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy and attempted murder for attacking a man in Greenbelt last June. Celvin Eulice Ramos-Meija, also known as "Cadejo," is an admitted member of the La Mara Salvatrucha gang, commonly known as MS-13.

U.S. Department of Justice officials say the gang operates in many countries and hails from El Salvador. Officials say MS-13 is one of the largest street gangs in the U.S., with many branches operating throughout Prince George's and Montgomery counties, as well as in Frederick, Maryland.

Officials say MS-13 members are encouraged to "attack and kill" members of rival gangs. Authorities believe Ramos-Meija was acting on this principle when he and several fellow gang members attacked a man in Greenbelt on June 6, 2016, causing him serious injuries that required him to be hospitalized for at least 10 days.

According to a DOJ press release, Ramos-Meija, who lives in Columbia, Maryland, had been a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatrucha Westside, or "SLSW" or "Sailors," branch of the local MS-13 community since at least 2012. On June 6, 2016, he and several fellow members approached the victim in Greenbelt and flashed an MS-13 sign in his face before attacking him.

Ramos-Meija was reportedly armed with a knife and stabbed the victim repeatedly, causing lacerations to his abdomen, liver and diaphragm, while the other attackers beat him. Though injured seriously, the victim was hospitalized and did survive the attack.

Ramos-Meija pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Tuesday and faces up to 10 years each for the counts of conspiracy and attempted murder in aid of racketeering. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on June 22, 2017.

The Prince George's County Police Department and State Attorney's Office worked together with the Justice Department's Organized Crime and Gang division to prosecute the case.