MS-13 gang member arrested in Maryland

BALTIMORE – On June 10, 2011, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers in Baltimore arrested Saul Antonio Uriba, a known MS-13 gang member who was previously deported by ICE's legacy agency, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), in 1998.

Uriba, 34, from El Salvador, was convicted on July 11, 1996 in Arlington County, Va., of possessing burglary tools and tampering with an automobile. He was sentenced to three years in prison and was deported at the conclusion of his sentence.

On June 9, 2011, ICE's ERO office in Baltimore received an anonymous tip from ICE's Tip Line in Williston, Vt., that Uriba had reentered the United States and was residing in Maryland. Tip Line staff then provided the information to ERO in Baltimore. Within 24 hours of receiving the tip, Uriba had been arrested by ICE ERO officers and was in custody.

"Street gangs pose a growing public safety concern to our communities," said ICE ERO Baltimore Field Office Director, Calvin McCormick. "Our ERO officers in Baltimore, working closely with the Tip Line, were able to identify, locate and arrest this gang member in the name of public safety and security. Removing known gang members from our streets is an important step in maintaining the safety and quality of life that the citizens of Maryland expect."

Uriba potentially faces federal criminal prosecution for illegally reentering the country after having been formally deported.

ICE ERO enforces the nation's immigration laws in a fair and effective manner. It identifies and arrests removable aliens, detains these individuals when necessary, and removes them from the United States. ICE ERO prioritizes the arrests and removal of convicted criminal aliens, those aliens who pose a threat to national security, immigration fugitives, and recent border entrants.

Individuals across the world can report suspicious criminal activity to the Tip Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE. Tip line callers provide information concerning a broad array of ICE investigative interests, including criminal and administrative immigration violations, child pornography, sex tourism, commercial and intellectual property crimes, contraband, smuggling, financial crimes, human trafficking/smuggling, identity and benefits fraud, and national security threats.