Federal prosecutors say an MS-13 crew with roots in Baltimore County was taking orders from a boss who was already behind bars in another state, as part of a sprawling criminal operation involving guns, drugs, and violence from an Owings Mills apartment hub.
On Thursday, authorities unsealed a superseding indictment charging eight people tied to an MS-13 clique in Baltimore County with a racketeering conspiracy. Investigators allege the network ran an organized operation that involved firearms trafficking, methamphetamine and marijuana distribution, and a series of robberies and assaults, all while using an Owings Mills apartment as a stash spot for narcotics and guns.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, the superseding indictment names German Lisandro Benites Moreno, 32; Luis “Duke” Melendez Serrano, 19; Kevin Melendez Serrano, 23; Alex Pena Martinez, 19; William Rivera Nolasco, 19; Melanie Pina Verde, 22; Joshua Palacios, 18; and Nilson Montecinos, 21. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the charges alongside Homeland Security Investigations, the ATF, and Baltimore County Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. O’Donohue III and Stanton M.B. Lawyer are prosecuting the case.
What prosecutors allege
Federal court documents say Benites Moreno, who previously led an LGCS clique in New Jersey, allegedly kept running the Baltimore County operation from a New Jersey state prison, calling into meetings and using intermediaries to move goods and pass along orders.
The indictment alleges that from January 28 through October 16, 2025, several defendants conspired to traffic firearms to people prohibited from owning them and to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, and that members carried out robberies and assaults in 2025.
“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote in its announcement.
How this fits into a larger crackdown
Prosecutors say the case is part of a Homeland Security Task Force initiative and the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a multi-agency push targeting transnational criminal organizations.
The indictment arrives amid a recent federal sweep in the Baltimore area that Hoodline described as a multi-agency effort that produced hundreds of arrests and dozens of federal prosecutions; Feds Flood Baltimore Streets reported on that operation.
Penalties and next steps
Federal RICO convictions carry steep penalties. Under the statute, a RICO conviction can bring up to 20 years in prison per count, mandatory forfeiture of proceeds, and a term of life if an underlying predicate offense carries a life sentence. See 18 U.S.C. § 1963 for the criminal-penalty and forfeiture provisions.
The charged defendants will now face proceedings in U.S. District Court in Baltimore as the case moves through arraignments and pretrial hearings.
