Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested a man in Omaha, Nebraska, that the agency described as an MS-13 "kingpin" and one of El Salvador's top 100 most wanted fugitives.
ICE reportedly declined to identify the man who was arrested Wednesday, citing the ongoing investigation.
A press release described him as "a criminal alien wanted in El Salvador" on several charges, including "the aggravated homicide of five victims; attempted aggravated homicide; deprivation of liberty; and terrorist organization affiliation."
"These illegal aliens didn't just sneak into our country; they brought with them a legacy of violence, terror, and death," Homeland Security Investigations' Mark Zito wrote in a statement. "They thought they could hide in America's heartland, but they were sadly mistaken. Not on our watch."
Zito is special agent in charge in Kansas City.
According to ICE, the high-ranking MS-13 gang member was arrested along with another MS-13 member he was living with, who was also in the United States illegally.
The associate was identified as Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, 30, who is also wanted in El Salvador. Escobar Ochoa is accused of ordering fellow gang members "to commit a variety of crimes, including multiple homicides, extortion, imprisonment, and drug trafficking."
Both men were reportedly arrested "without incident" in a "targeted" enforcement operation.
They had been living in the Omaha area, where, officials said, they posed "severe threats to the local community's safety."
"Our ICE officers and agents are protecting your neighborhoods, even when you don't know the threat is there, so either support them or get out of the way," Todd Lyons, ICE acting director, wrote in a statement.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the release.
In a post on X, Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., thanked law enforcement agencies for removing the MS-13 gang members from Omaha's streets.
"Thank you to our law enforcement agencies who work around the clock to keep our Nebraska communities safe," Fischer wrote Wednesday evening.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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