Previously Deported Gang Members Arrested near California, Texas Borders

Border Patrol agents in California and Texas arrested previously deported gang members after they illegally crossed back into the United States.

El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a pair of gang members over the weekend who both had been previously deported on multiple occasions. The first incident happened on Saturday night at about 10 p.m. when agents patrolling near the Calexico Port of Entry observed a man illegally crossing from Mexicali, according to El Centro Sector officials.

The agents approached the man about three miles west of the port of entry. They placed the man under arrest and transported him to the Calexico Border Patrol Station for processing and a biometric background investigation.

During the investigation, the agents learned the 42-year-old Mexican national has a previous conviction from a California court for transportation and sale of illegal narcotics. The court sentenced the man to 12 months in prison and five years probation. During processing, the criminal alien admitted to being “a member of the notorious Sureños gang with affiliations to the Florencia 13 gang,” officials reported. The man’s records also showed multiple deportations by immigration officers — most recently in January 2007.

The following morning, Calexico Station agents observed another individual illegally crossing the border about 12 miles east of the Calexico Port of Entry. Officials said this area is frequently used by smuggling organizations due to the “harsh terrain and the short distance to the highway.”

During processing at the station, agents identified the illegal immigrant as a 20-year-old Salvadoran national. His records revealed multiple deportations by immigration officers — the latest in August 2018. His records also indicate his membership in the notoriously violent MS-13 gang.

“The Sureños and MS-13 are amongst the most dangerous and organized gangs out there today,” El Centro Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Ryan J. Scudder said in a written statement. “Fortunately our agents were able to apprehend these gang members safely without further incident.”

Elsewhere on the border, Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass Station conducting line-watch operations apprehended a migrant who illegally crossed the border from Mexico. The agents transported him to the Eagle Pass South Station and conducted a biometric background investigation. The investigation uncovered a violent criminal history including abduction and kidnapping, obstruction of justice, robbery, and felony assault, officials stated. He admitted to Border Patrol agents to being an MS-13 member as well.

All of these criminal alien gang members now face federal charges under 8 USC § 1326 – reentry after deportation. If convicted on the charges, each man could face up to 20 years in federal prison.