Five MS-13 Members Arrested in Texas After Illegal Border Crossings

Border Patrol agents in South Texas arrested five MS-13 members last week after they illegally crossed the border from Mexico. Agents also arrested a criminal alien with a conviction for burglary with intent to commit sexual assault.

Agents assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) in South Texas stopped five members of the hyperviolent MS-13 gang and a previously deported criminal alien from successfully making their way into the U.S. interior. The arrests occurred during a four-day period ending on Saturday when agents arrested a Mexican national near the border town of La Joya, Texas.

A biometric records check on the man revealed a previous conviction for burglary of a residence with the intent to commit sexual assault, according to information provided to Breitbart Texas by RGV Sector officials. The man served 10 years in prison for the crime committed in Hidalgo County. Agents arrested him in La Joya, which is also in Hidalgo Country.

One day earlier, agents assigned to the Falfurrias Immigration Checkpoint in Brooks County arrested a Cuban national for allegedly attempting to smuggle 17 illegal immigrants inside a tractor-trailer, officials stated. Agents identified one of those as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13).

Agents arrested three more MS-13 members on Thursday. Weslaco Station agents arrested two Salvadoran nationals after they crossed near the border town of Pharr, Texas. Agents identified both men as MS-13 gang members — one of whom had previously been the subject of a removal order. Rio Grande City Station agents arrested another member near the border town of Roma, Texas.

Falfurrias Station agents arrested the fifth MS-13 member of the week on Wednesday. The immigration checkpoint in Brooks County is located about 80 miles from the Texas-Mexico Border.

All of these gang members and the criminal alien arrested in Hidalgo County could face prosecution for illegally entering the U.S. Those who had previously been deported could face a felony charge. If convicted, they could receive up to 20 years in prison.