ERO New York City arrests MS-13 gang member wanted in El Salvador for terroristic activities

NEW YORK — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City arrested of an unlawfully present citizen and national of El Salvador May 6 who is wanted by Salvadoran authorities for prosecution of the crime of terrorist organization with aggravating circumstances.

ERO New York City’s Long Island office arrested the previously removed the 29-year-old noncitizen near his residence in Coram and reinstated his prior removal order. He will remain in custody, without bond, pending removal to El Salvador.

“Noncitizens who are engaged in or suspected of supporting terrorism are a direct threat to our country’s national security and will be expeditiously removed from the United States,” said ERO New York City Deputy Field Office Director William Joyce. “We remain committed to keeping New Yorkers safe from those who erroneously believe they can exploit our immigration laws to escape justice in their home countries.

On April 6, 2015, the U.S. Border Patrol arrested the noncitizen and served him with a notice to appear charging inadmissibility under of the Immigration and Nationality Act. On July 6, 2015, an immigration judge ordered the noncitizen’s removal from the United States and on Aug. 28 of that same year, ERO removed him to El Salvador.

On an unknown date and unknown location, the Salvadoran citizen reentered the United States without inspection, admission or parole by an immigration official.

On Sept. 21, 2016, the Arlington Police Department in Virginia arrested him for three counts of grand larceny and felony possession of burglary tools. During post arrest processing, the noncitizen admitted to being an MS-13 gang member.

On July 27, 2017, Salvadoran authorities issued an arrest warrant for this noncitizen for the charge of terrorist activities with aggravating circumstances. On March 22, 2022, ERO New York City received notification that the noncitizen was the subject on an international arrest warrant issued by El Salvador. ERO NYC subsequently arrested him without incident.

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 federal immigration judges.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO 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 City’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ERONewYork.