U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Chula Vista Border Patrol Station arrested an alleged member of the violent street gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) who entered the country illegally along with a group of people, officials announced last week.
At about 3 a.m. on Nov. 22, Border Patrol agents encountered a group unlawfully entering the country. They questioned one individual from that group about his citizenship and he claimed to be a Mexican citizen, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Border Patrol arrested the whole group and transported them to a nearby Border Patrol Station for processing.
At that station, it was determined the man was not a Mexican citizen, but instead a 32-year-old citizen of El Salvador and an MS-13 gang member, according to CBP. His name was not immediately released.
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The man was then taken into custody of the Department of Homeland Security pending Expedited Removal under the Presidential Proclamation, Securing the Border, CBP said.
“I applaud our San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents for their dedication and diligence to protecting our country,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “Keeping dangerous subjects from entering our communities is our pledge to America.”
During the 2024 fiscal year, CBP says the San Diego Sector Border Patrol apprehended 26 gang members, making an 62.5% increase from the prior fiscal year.
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CBP urges people to report suspicious border activity to the San Diego Sector at 619-498-9900.
