ERO Baltimore arrests known MS-13 gang member convicted of drunk driving in Maryland

BALTIMORE – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore arrested an undocumented noncitizen convicted of driving while intoxicated and driving a vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock. Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team apprehended the Salvadoran national, a documented member of the notorious MS-13 street gang on Oct. 30 in Temple Hills, Maryland.

The noncitizen unlawfully entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location, and without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by an immigration official.

The Prince George’s County Police Department (PGCPD) arrested the Salvadoran national in February 2016 and charged him with trespassing.

The Circuit Court for Prince George's County in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, dismissed the trespassing charge in April 2016.

PGCPD arrested the noncitizen again in July 2017 and charged him with domestic violence. Later that day, the District Court for Prince George's County issued a protective order against him.

PGCPD arrested the Salvadoran national in October 2018, and charged him with assault second degree. The District Court for Prince George's County dismissed the assault second degree charge against the noncitizen in December 2018.

PGCPD arrested the noncitizen again in June 2019 and charged him with negligent driving, failure to display registration card, reckless driving, driving under the influence, driving while impaired by alcohol and failure to obey officer signal.

The Anne Arundel (Maryland) Police Department arrested the noncitizen in May 2022 and charged him with driving vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock.

On March 1, the District Court for Anne Arundel County in Glen Burnie, Maryland, convicted the Salvadoran noncitizen of driving vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock as required by program and sentenced him to 1 year confinement with all but 4 days suspended followed by 18 months of supervised probation.

Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested the undocumented noncitizen on Oct. 30 at his residence in Temple Hills, MD, and issued him a notice to appear before a Department of Justice (DOJ) immigration judge, as a noncitizen present without admission or parole. ERO Baltimore confirmed his membership in MS-13. He will remain in ERO custody pending the outcome of removal proceedings.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

As one of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) three operational directorates, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.