In the late summer of 2017, a violent feud between rival gangs in Riverdale, Maryland, escalated, culminating in the tragic death of 19-year-old Carlos Garita-Salazar. The young man, a male resident of the area, was found inside a car in the early morning hours of September 16, 2017, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene in the 6000 block of 67th Place, a quiet neighborhood of single-family homes.
The investigation into the death of Garita-Salazar
quickly revealed that it was not a random act of violence. Within days, three suspects were taken into custody: 18-year-old Kevin Soriana-Hernand of Landover Hills, and two brothers from Riverdale, 29-year-old Carlos Cardenas-Banegas and 24-year-old Wilfredo Cardenas-Banegas. Initially, all three were charged with first and second-degree murder and held on a no-bond status. The case against them soon expanded beyond a local homicide investigation as federal authorities unveiled a much larger criminal enterprise.
Further investigation revealed that the murder of Carlos Garita-Salazar was connected to the violent activities of the notorious street gang, La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. The three suspects were identified as members of the 'Sailors' clique of the gang. In December 2018, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment, charging Soriana-Hernandez and the Cardenas-Banegas brothers, along with other alleged MS-13 members, with participation in a violent racketeering conspiracy. The indictment outlined a pattern of violent crimes committed by the gang, including extortion, drug trafficking, and multiple murders, with Garita-Salazar's death listed as one of the overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy. The motive for his killing was described as part of an ongoing and escalating conflict with a group the MS-13 members believed to be a rival gang.
In March 2019, Kevin Soriana-Hernandez, also known as 'Brocha,' pleaded guilty to his role in the racketeering conspiracy. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted his membership in the MS-13 Sailors clique and his involvement in the murder of Carlos Garita-Salazar. He was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The legal proceedings for Carlos and Wilfredo Cardenas-Banegas were also part of the larger federal racketeering case, holding them accountable for their roles in the violent enterprise that led to the untimely death of Carlos Garita-Salazar.
