Detroit Border Patrol agents arrest MS-13 gang member

DETROIT — U.S. Border Patrol agents made a significant arrest of two illegal aliens from El Salvador over the weekend. One of the men admitted to being a member of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and spent time in a Salvadorian prison for murder.

Agents assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol’s Detroit Station responded to a request for assistance from law enforcement partners in Sterling Heights, Michigan, who were holding two men involved in an altercation at a local motel, Sunday.

Record checks revealed that both subjects were illegally present in the United States. During interviews, one of the men admitted to being a member of MS-13, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The man claimed to have served 20 years in a Salvadoran prison for the murder of a rival gang member.

Local authorities also seized just over five grams of crystal methamphetamine found during the incident.

“This is a major win for the U.S. Border Patrol and the safety of our communities,” said Detroit Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Javier Geronimo Jr. “This arrest is a clear example of how agents and our law enforcement partners are protecting our towns by removing violent criminals from our country.”

Both men are being processed for removal from the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.