Police in Maryland have arrested four suspected MS-13 gang members in connection with the death of a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly killed with a machete.
The murder occurred last August in Prince George’s County, Md., the same state represented by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who fought to free “Maryland dad” and MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego-Garcia in 2025 and return him to the United States.
The suspects have been described as “four MS-13 illegal aliens” based on reports circulating on social media.
“Four MS-13 illegal aliens have been arrested in Maryland after they hacked a 14-year-old boy to d*ath with a machete. Brought to you by Maryland Sen. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, margarita-enjoyer with MS-13 Abrego Garcia. HE SHOULD RESIGN,” posted Marylander-turned-Floridian Eric Daugherty of Right Line News and Florida’s Voice.
🚨 BREAKING: Four MS-13 illegal aliens have been arrested in Maryland after they hacked a 14-year-old boy to d*ath with a machete
Brought to you by Maryland Sen. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, margarita-enjoyer with MS-13 Abrego Garcia.
HE SHOULD RESIGN.pic.twitter.com/UTaOu1bGf8
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 18, 2026
Investigators believe the victim, Jefferson Amaya-Ayala, 14, of Washington, D.C., was lured to Indian Creek Stream Valley Park in College Park, Md., and killed the same day he disappeared. His remains were found in November 2025, a few months after he had been reported missing.
The Prince George’s County Police Department announced the arrests on Saturday, Jan. 17. The department’s Homicide Unit charged four suspects with first-degree murder in the gang-related death of Amaya-Ayala: Jose Merlos-Majano, 18; Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, 21; William Cuellar Gutierrez, 19, all from D.C., and a 17-year-old from Hyattsville.
Investigators said Amaya-Ayala was killed by multiple sharp-force injuries, and WJLA 7News confirmed through a source that the crime is linked to the MS-13 gang.
Amaya-Ayala’s remains were found in the park on Nov. 3, 2025. Prince George’s County police, Metropolitan Police Department and FBI Cross Border Task Force were investigating the 14-year-old boy’s disappearance and found “what appeared to be possible human remains” during a search of the park, DC News Now reported.
Investigators believe Amaya-Ayala was killed on Aug. 2, 2025. The medical examiner confirmed his death as a homicide, noting multiple injuries, WJLA 7 News reported.
The investigation is being conducted jointly with the FBI Baltimore Field Office, according to a PGPD news release.
“Through various investigative techniques during this exhaustive investigation, detectives identified the four suspects,” according to a press release. “The victim knew at least one of the four suspects. This murder appears gang-related however the motive remains under investigation.”
The case highlights another innocent victim of violent crime at the hands of MS-13 gang members amid the Trump administration’s push to deport criminal illegal aliens and gang members from the country.
🚨BREAKING: Four MS-13 gang members arrested in Senator @ChrisVanHollen’s Maryland for luring a 14-year-old boy into a park and hacking the child to death with machetes.
Which anti-ICE Mommy wants to take these illegal alien killers home to play with their kids? pic.twitter.com/wlK7fbjKtR
— Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) January 18, 2026
The X account Dapper Detective shared a news clip and posted: “BREAKING: Four MS-13 gang members arrested in Senator @ChrisVanHollen’s Maryland for luring a 14-year-old boy into a park and hacking the child to death with machetes. Which anti-ICE Mommy wants to take these illegal alien killers home to play with their kids?”
Amaya-Ayala’s murder has drawn sharp criticism and highlights the failures of Maryland’s limited cooperation with federal immigration detainers.
Prince George’s County is the same police force with a gang task force that originally arrested Abrego-Garcia in 2019 and confirmed his ties to the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.
Abrego-Garcia had several previous run-ins with police and allegations of gang ties, domestic violence and human smuggling. But that didn’t stop Sen. Van Hollen from running to his rescue.
In April 2025, Van Hollen flew to El Salvador to visit the accused gang member and advocate for his release after being deported by the Trump administration.
News of the arrests quickly spread on social media with several Conservative news outlets and accounts chiming in:
The Gateway Pundit shared its own report on X, adding: “Four MS-13 Gangsters Arrested in Maryland After Murdering 14-Year-Old Boy as Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen Claims Illegals ‘Pose no Public Threat Whatsoever.’”
BREAKING: Four MS-13 gang members arrested in Maryland for luring a 14-year-old to the woods and kiIIing him
Will Maryland Senator @ChrisVanHollen have margaritas with these Democrat heroes? pic.twitter.com/g48zeGRoqS
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 18, 2026
The Libs of Tik Tok account also shared a news clip and tagged Van Hollen: “Four MS-13 gang members arrested in Maryland for luring a 14-year-old to the woods and kiIIing him. Will Maryland Senator @ChrisVanHollen have margaritas with these Democrat heroes?”
The Prince George’s County Police Department and other news reports did not specify the suspects’ immigration status or whether they were working with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
As of Jan. 17, Cuellar Gutierrez and the 17-year-old who was arrested were in the custody of the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections. Merlos-Majano was in custody in Washington, D.C. Garcia-Padilla was in custody in Alexandria, Virginia. Both were awaiting extradition to Prince George’s County, according to the news release.
