Trinitarios Gang Member Charged with Possession of Machinegun

BOSTON – A Lawrence man appeared in federal court yesterday in connection with a criminal complaint charging him with possessing an UZI machinegun.

Derek Mercado, 20, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of a machinegun. Mercado is currently in state custody for domestic violence offenses.

Mercado is alleged to be a member of the Trinitarios gang, a violent criminal enterprise responsible for numerous murders and acts of violence across Massachusetts. According to charging documents, an alert to arrest Mercado was broadcast by law enforcement on the morning of May 6, 2025, following a report of a domestic violence incident. The victim reported that the defendant was allegedly in possession of a firearm in a green duffel bag. At the time, Mercado was in warrant status on two unrelated matters. Mercado was later observed exiting a residence while allegedly possessing a green duffel bag. Mercado was taken into custody and an Israel Military Industries UZI model submachinegun containing an extended magazine loaded with 24 rounds was recovered in the green bag. The UZI was later test-fired and determined to be a functional machinegun.
    
 

In August 2024, three members of the Lawrence Chapter of the Trinitarios were charged with an armed robbery. In February 2025, nearly two dozen members of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios were charged with committing six murders in Lynn and Lawrence. In June 2025, two Trinitarios members were charged with committing a kidnapping in Andover.

The charge of possessing a machinegun provides for a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Haverhill Police Chief Robert Pistone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.