ERO New York City arrests foreign fugitive wanted in El Salvador for terror-related charges
NEW YORK — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City (NYC) arrested an unlawfully present Salvadoran citizen Nov. 8 who is wanted in El Salvador for terror-related activity. The foreign fugitive is a known 18th Street gang member and an active member of the Colombia Little Cycos Surenos clique.
Long Island Fugitive Operations officers arrested the 27-year-old noncitizen without incident in Huntington pursuant to a warrant. Upon arrest, officials gave him a notice to appear. He will remain in custody without bond pending removal proceedings.
“Not only is this individual a known member of a violent international street gang that engages in a variety of criminal activities to include acts of assault, robbery, kidnapping, murder and firearms trafficking; he is also a foreign fugitive wanted on terrorism charges,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “This noncitizen is a direct threat to the security of the United States and a danger to our New York communities. I am grateful to our officers for removing him from our streets.”
The Salvadoran citizen entered the United States at an unknown time and location without being admitted, inspected or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.
On Jan. 17, 2018, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested the noncitizen near Edinburg, Texas, and issued him an expedited removal order. He claimed fear and was referred to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to apply for asylum. That agency issued him a notice to appear and referred him to an immigration judge March 29, 2018.
On April 6, 2018, he was released on $2,500 bond. On April 23, 2023, an immigration judge in New York City terminated the noncitizen’s removal proceedings without prejudice. In June 2023, the ERO attaché in El Salvador notified ERO New York City that the individual was an international fugitive. ERO New York City arrested the noncitizen after investigating his transnational gang membership and terrorist organization activities.
Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their legal due process from federal immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice and is separate from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case. ERO officers carry out the removal decisions made by the federal immigration judges.
ERO is a directorate of ICE and is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-347-2423 or completing ICE’s online tip form.
Learn more about ERO New York’s mission to preserve public safety on Twitter @ERONewYork.
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