El Salvadorian Gang Member Sentenced Maryland Triple Shooting Homicide
Thursday, January 23, 2025, 6:20 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
WASHINGTON, DC.- On Tuesday, a 21-year-old El Salvadorian national and reputed member of the violent transnational criminal street gang “18th Street” was sentenced to four decades in federal prison in connection with gunning down three people, one fatally who he believed was a rival international gang member in Rockville, Maryland in December 2021.
According to U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Cesar De La O Rodriguez, a 21-year-old El Salvadorian citizen, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison for his previously entered guilty plea to federal racketeering offenses. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Rodriguez will face immediate deportation proceedings upon completion of his federal sentence.
Rodriguez Pleads Guilt
Rodriguez, also known as “Lunatico,” pleaded guilty on February 9, 2024, to Conspiring to Participate in a Racketeer Influence Corrupt Organization; and Conspiracy to Commit Volent Crime in Aid of Racketeering Murder.
Just days after entering his plea, on February 18, 2024, Rodriguez participated in a jailhouse stabbing of a fellow inmate at the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia. Rodriguez is facing additional charges in connection with the stabbing of attempted murder, and malicious wounding, resulting in significant physical impairment.
According To The Charging Documents In The Case
According to the charging information filed with the District Court in connection with the racketeering conviction, the 18th Street gang engages in multiple criminal activities, including acts of assault, robbery, kidnapping, murder, and firearms trafficking in the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, both within the U.S. and foreign countries. The 18th Street members are required to commit acts of violence to further the interests of the gang.
These violent acts are often directed against rival gang members, 18th Street members who have violated gang rules or have otherwise disrespected the gang, and people who are believed to be cooperating with law enforcement.
    In the case documents, on December 19, 2021, at the command and direction of a senior member of 18th Street, Rodriguez, and co-defendants followed the victim, Danis Alcides Salgado Mata, to Mata’s home located on the 13700 Block of Ashby Road in Rockville, Maryland. Rodriguez and his co-defendants believed that Mata was a member of the international gang MS-13.
    Upon arriving at Mata’s home, Rodriguez and another 18th Street gang member opened fire, striking Mata multiple times in the chest. Mata ultimately succumbed to the gunshot wounds and died. During the gunfire, Mata’s mother and stepfather were also struck by gunfire and survived their injuries. Rodriguez and the other 18th Street gang members fled the scene into the District of Columbia.
At the time of the shooting, Rodriguez was a low-ranking member of the gang, but after the murder, he was promoted to a full-fledged member and commonly known as a “Homeboy.”
