Convicted Killer, MS-13 Member Arrested in South Texas

Border Patrol agents in the Laredo Sector stopped a previously deported Mexican national who served prison time for murder and an MS-13 member from El Salvador from successfully making their way into the U.S. interior.

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Zapata Station arrested an illegal immigrant near the border town of San Ygnacio, Texas. The Mexican national had just crossed the Rio Grande River from his home country, according to Laredo Sector officials.

The agents routinely conduct biometric background investigations into all illegal immigrants arrested and processed for immigration violations. During this records check, agents learned the Mexican national spent six years in a Mexican prison after being convicted for murder. The records also show a previous removal from the U.S.

The Mexican man could now face U.S. federal prosecution for illegal re-entry after removal. The arrest of this man is a reminder of the dangers faced every day by Border Patrol agents, officials said.

“Instances like this remind us that you never know what type of individual you may encounter or what their intentions are until they are taken into custody,” Laredo Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens said in a written statement.

Working further inland, agents assigned to the Hebbronville Station encountered a group of six illegal aliens attempting to march around the local immigration checkpoint. Agents transported them to their station for processing for immigration violations.

During a records check, the agents learned that one of the six is a member of the hyperviolent transnational criminal gang known as MS.13. He had also been previously deported from the U.S. Officials said they will process all six illegal aliens for immigration violations.

Illegal re-entry after removal is a felony that is now being aggressively prosecuted by the Department of Justice. If charged and convicted for illegal re-entry after removal, the illegal aliens could face up to 20 years in federal prison.