Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced it had detained an international fugitive hiding in the United States who was wanted on terrorism charges in El Salvador.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) made the announcement in a press release on Monday, declaring that they had detained an individual who is a known member of the 18th Street gang, the Columbia Little Cycos Surenos.
According to ERO, the gang member was taken into custody on November 8 in New York City without incident.
In the press release, ERO New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo noted that the fugitive was “a known member of a violent international street gang that engages in a variety of criminal activities,” including “robbery, kidnapping, murder and firearms trafficking.”
Genalo went on to state that “he is also a foreign fugitive wanted on terrorism charges. This noncitizen is a direct threat to the security of the United States and a danger to our New York communities. I am grateful to our officers for removing him from our streets.”
The gang member reportedly entered U.S. custody back in 2018, but an immigration judge blocked his deportation earlier this year after he claimed asylum. He was then rearrested by ERO after ICE learned from its Salvadoran attaché that the gang member was wanted on terrorism-related charges in their country.
Meanwhile, El Salvador is in the middle of one of the largest crackdowns on organized crime and drug cartels in history thanks to the leadership of President Nayib Bukele. Earlier this year, his government moved thousands of gang members into what has been described as a new “mega-prison” — eliciting praise from many pro-law enforcement advocates around the world.
BREAKING: President of El Salvador announces massive operation against gang members, thousands arrested and thrown in a new prison
"This will be their new house, where they will live for decades, unable to do any further harm to the population"pic.twitter.com/mxfEHVcTkH
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 25, 2023
Under Bukele’s leadership, El Salvador has detained tens of thousands of alleged gang members, though many are still awaiting trial. Since the crackdown began, murders in El Salvador are down 92%. According to The Messenger, “Approximately 65,000 people — roughly 1% of the country’s population — have been jailed as part of the anti-gang initiative.”
El Salvador’s homicide rate is down 92%
How did President Bukele do it?
By addressing the “root causes”?
By tackling “systemic inequities”?Nope. He cracked down on the gangs and jailed 65k criminals.
And now he has 90% approval rating
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 24, 2023
Bukele’s approval rating since the crackdown has risen to roughly 90%, and many have said that his methods should be a blueprint for other countries to deal with their crime problems.
Why Nayib Bukele’s successful campaign against the gangs of El Salvador is a lesson for both Mexico and the United States. @nayibbukele pic.twitter.com/rLN2UtESPv
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) April 20, 2023
