10
Loading video...
By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Federal agents apprehended an MS-13 kingpin on El Salvador's "Top 100 Most Wanted" list in Nebraska on Wednesday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) apprehended the man wanted for the "aggravated homicide of five victims, attempted aggravated homicide, deprivation of liberty and terrorist organization affiliation" in Omaha on July 9.
ICE did not release the man's name as of publication.
Read More on News
Newsweek has contacted ICE for comment via email.
...
Why It Matters
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American groups, such as the MS-13 crime syndicate, as terrorist organizations.
According to the order, these groups "threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere."
MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is a violent gang made up primarily of Salvadorans that maintains its power and profits through kidnapping, extortion and murder. Formed in the 1980s in Los Angeles by Salvadoran refugees, it later became a transnational organization as deported members spread its influence in Central America. MS-13 operates through loosely organized "cliques" that control local territory.
What To Know
Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, 30, a suspected MS-13 gang member who is also wanted in El Salvador for allegedly directing associates to commit serious crimes—including murder, extortion and drug trafficking—was also taken into federal custody, according to an ICE news release.
Both individuals were living in the U.S. illegally at the time of their arrest, ICE said.
The agency said the men were both detained in a targeted enforcement operation "without incident."
"These illegal aliens didn't just sneak into our country; they brought with them a legacy of violence, terror and death," said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito, whose office oversees Omaha.
In footage of the roadside arrest, one of the men is seen quickly raising his hands after being stopped by agents.
ICE and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are conducting the investigation.
What People Are Saying
Todd M. Lyons, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in a statement: "When ICE agents move in to make an arrest, it is extremely important that the public not interfere. The misinformation, and sometimes blatant lies, being spread around the country could result in someone stepping into a federal operation and suddenly finding themselves face-to-face with a killer who has nothing to lose."
He added: "Our ICE officers and agents are protecting your neighborhoods, even when you don't know the threat is there, so either support them or get out of the way."
Mark Zito, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City, said: "They thought they could hide in America's heartland, but they were sadly mistaken. Not on our watch."
What Happens Next
Investigations by federal authorities remain ongoing.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines