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June 9, 2025Brockton, MA, United StatesEnforcement and Removal

ICE Boston arrests Salvadoran gang member in Massachusetts

Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston working with agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England and FBI Boston arrested William Alberto Villalobos-Melendez May 14 in Brockton.

BROCKTON, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation apprehended a 24-year-old, illegally present Salvadoran national and documented member of the notorious MS-13 criminal gang. Officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston working with agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations New England and FBI Boston arrested William Alberto Villalobos-Melendez May 14 in Brockton.

“William Alberto Villalobos-Melendez has been illegally residing in the United States for almost nine years,” said ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He is a validated member of a violent transnational street gang and poses a threat to our Massachusetts residents. ICE Boston will not tolerate any threat that a member of a nefarious gang poses to our neighbors. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting criminal alien threats to our New England communities.”

U.S. Border Patrol arrested Villalobos Oct. 11, 2016, after he illegally entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas. USBP determined that Villalobos had entered the U.S. without admission or inspection by an immigration official. USBP issued Villalobos a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.

On June 12, 2019, a DOJ immigration judge issued ordered Villalobos removed from the United States to El Salvador.

The State Police of Middleboro, Massachusetts, charged Villalobos with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and using an electronic device while driving March 13, 2025.

Officers with ICE ERO Boston and agents with ICE HSI New England and FBI Boston arrested Villalobos May 14, 2025, and took him into ICE custody. Villalobos will remain in ICE custody pending his removal from the United States.

Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.

Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our New England communities on X at @EROBoston.

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