MS-13 member wanted for 2 homicides arrested in northern Virginia
WASHINGTON – A known MS-13 gang member wanted for two separate homicides in Texas was captured Saturday in Arlington, Virginia. The Arlington County Police Department, along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C. field office and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Northern Virginia Gang Task Force, made the arrest.
Douglas Alexander Herrera-Hernandez, aka “Terror,” a 20-year-old El Salvadoran national illegally present in the United States, was one the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives in Texas. He is wanted in connection with two murders in the Houston area.
“As I said earlier this week, we will be relentless in our pursuit of every member, associate and leader of MS-13 and other transnational criminal gangs. Today's arrest underscores that commitment, as well as the importance of our partnerships with local law enforcement. We will continue our efforts to target and dismantle gangs in order to get violent criminals off the streets and keep our communities safe," said ICE Acting Director Tom Homan.
The first criminal warrant for Herrera’s arrest was issued July 29, 2016, by the 240th District Court in Fort Bend County in connection to a shooting in Missouri City, Texas, June 13, 2016. The second warrant for Herrera’s arrest was issued by the 262nd District Court in Harris County, Texas, July 19, 2017, in connection to a separate murder that occurred July 9, 2017.
On July 26, 2017, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued an All-Points Bulletin for Herrera’s arrest, and ERO Washington received information from Arlington County, the FBI Houston Field Office and the FBI Washington Field Office that Herrera was possibly in Virginia. At approximately 11:30 a.m., through the joint efforts of the investigating agencies, Herrera was arrested while walking near Four Mile Run and Columbia Pike in Arlington.
Agency records indicate Herrera claims he illegally entered the United States in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas Dec. 31, 2014. He was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol that day and issued a notice to appear in immigration court. On June 26, 2015, an immigration court judge in Houston ordered Herrera removed to El Salvador after Herrera failed to appear for his hearing.
ICE has lodged an immigration detainer on Herrera with the Arlington County Jail. He is pending extradition to Texas to face criminal charges. Once extradited to Texas, ICE will lodge a subsequent detainer there. ICE will take custody of Herrera to facilitate his removal to El Salvador after his criminal proceedings conclude, and he serves any corresponding jail sentences.
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