ERO New York City arrests previously removed former MS-13 gang member convicted of murder

NEW YORK — On March 12, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) New York City arrested an unlawfully present Salvadoran citizen with convictions in New York for the crimes of murder in aid of racketeering, assault and driving while intoxicated.

ERO officers from the field office’s Criminal Prosecutions Unit apprehended the 39-year-old former MS-13 gang member without incident outside his residence in Brentwood pursuant to a criminal arrest warrant. He was presented before the U.S. magistrate judge for violation of Section 1326(b)(2) of Title 8, United States Code — reentry of removed aliens whose removal was subsequent to a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony — and remanded into custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

“This criminal noncitizen’s multiple unlawful entries and felony criminal convictions underscore his flagrant disregard for the laws of the United States,” said ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “We remain committed to eliminating the threats posed by these types of criminals to the citizens and residents of the New York City metropolitan area. I commend our officers for safely apprehending this serial offender ensuring he can no longer harm anyone in our communities.”

The Salvadoran national unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location without being inspected, admitted or paroled by an immigration official.

On July 9, 2004, the Suffolk County Court convicted the noncitizen of second-degree assault, a Class D felony, and sentenced him to six months of incarceration and five years of probation. On Oct. 18, 2004, the FBI arrested the noncitizen and charged him with homicide and federal conspiracy to murder, kidnap. He was convicted of the crime of murder in aid of racketeering Oct. 7, 2011, by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and sentenced to 102 months of imprisonment. On Aug. 7, 2013, the court convicted the noncitizen of a federal parole violation and sentenced him to 11 months of imprisonment.

ERO New York City took custody of the noncitizen on an immigration detainer lodged with Metropolitan Detention Center-Brooklyn on Sept. 6, 2013, and placed him into removal proceedings. On Oct. 6, 2014, an immigration judge ordered the noncitizen removed and on Oct. 27, 2014, ERO removed him to El Salvador.

The Salvadoran national unlawfully reentered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location without being inspected, admitted or paroled by an immigration official.

On Oct. 1, 2023, the Suffolk County Police Department arrested the Salvadoran citizen and charged him with driving while intoxicated and obstructing governmental administration and released him on his own recognizance. The Suffolk County 1st District Court convicted him Jan. 29, 2024, for driving while intoxicated.

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. ICE officers carry out the removal decisions made by the 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 crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ERO New York City’s mission to preserve public safety on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ERONewYork.