6 members of violent street gang arrested for murder, racketeering in DMV
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Six members of a violent street gang called “18 Street” were found guilty of multiple charges including racketeering, kidnapping and murder.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. said the investigation of looking into the criminal activity of “18th Street” in the DMV started back in 2019.
As police continued to investigate, they found the gang to be involved in series of murders, attempted murders and kidnappings of members of rival gangs and members of their own gang who they thought were not being loyal to the organization.
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One of the acts includes the murder of C.H. on May 21, 2021.
Evidence at the trial showed that Jexon Madrid-Flores and another 18th Street member threatened C.H. with a gun as he stopped by a convenience store in Columbia Heights.
Madrid-Flores and the other member then followed C.H. and pulled up on their car on C.H as he was riding his bike in the bike lane.
The other gang member then shot at C.H., hitting him in the leg.
The investigation also went into the July 14, 2021, murder of Carlos Ramos Martinez, who was killed in a wooded area near Elkton.
Ramos Martinez who was known as “FIRE,” was a member of a rival group of 18th Street called the Revolucionarios.
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Jose Santos Alvarado-Velasquez and Gerlin Neptali Diaz-Lopez killed Ramos Martinez.
Carlos Rolando Martinez-Mora and Jose Anselmo Ibarra-Cristales were also involved as they planned and helped in the killing.
Officials said Alvarado-Velasquez, Diaz-Lopez, and Ibarra-Cristales were in the U.S. illegally at the time.
The investigation also involved a second murder that took place in Rockville on Dec. 19, 2021.
According to the indictment, Rolando Martinez-Mora arranged for Danis Alcides Salgado Mata, who was a suspected member of MS-13 to be killed.
Mata was shot and killed soon after his mother’s wedding celebration. Mata’s mother and dad were also shot but survived.
A dozen members of 18th Street were arrested and charged in this incident.
The first trial against six of the members started on April 10, 2024, and ended last week.
A second group of 18th Street gang members will be tried in July 2024.
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