Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that they had taken into custody an MS-13 \u201ckingpin\u201d who is wanted for murder in his native El Salvador on Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska, according to federal immigration officials.<\/p>\n
The gang member, who is listed on El Salvador\u2019s \u201c100 Most Wanted\u201d list, has not yet been identified to the public. He is wanted for \u201caggravated homicide of five victims, attempted aggravated homicide, deprivation of liberty and terrorist organization affiliation,\u201d in his home country, according to an ICE press release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese illegal aliens didn\u2019t just sneak into our country, they brought with them a legacy of violence, terror, and death,\u201d Mark Zito ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge of Kansas City, told Fox News. \u201cThey thought they could hide in America\u2019s heartland, but they were sadly mistaken, not on our watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
The raid also led to the capture of an \u201cMS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist\u201d who is wanted in a Central American country for allegedly issuing orders to carry out a series of serious crimes, including murder and drug trafficking. ICE conducted the operation as part of a \u201ctargeted enforcement effort,\u201d citing both individuals as significant threats to public safety in the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen ICE agents move in to make an arrest, it is extremely important that the public not interfere,\u201d ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. \u201cThe misinformation, and sometimes blatant lies, being spread around the country could result in someone stepping into a federal operation and suddenly finding themselves face-to-face with a killer who has nothing to lose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lyons added: \u201cOur ICE officers and agents are protecting your neighborhoods, even when you don\u2019t know the threat is there, so either support them, or get out of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
The arrests come as ICE significantly ramps up immigration enforcement efforts following a major funding increase included in the recently signed Big Beautiful Bill. The legislation, signed into law this past Saturday, raises the agency\u2019s annual budget from $2 billion to $45 billion.<\/p>\n
On Monday, White House border czar Tom Homan announced that ICE is now aiming for over 7,000 deportations per day moving forward. If agents maintain that pace, the total would reach approximately 1.2 million arrests by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd for those that say 3,000 a day is too much, I want to remind them, do the math, we have to arrest 7,000 every single day for the remainder of this administration just to catch the ones Biden released into the nation,\u201d Homan told reporters Monday outside the White House.<\/p>\n
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