ICE Arrests Most Wanted Salvadoran Gang Member

ICE agents have arrested an illegal alien identified as one of El Salvador’s most wanted gang members.

Antonio Israel Lazo-Quintanilla, a confirmed member of the 18th Street Gang, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release, has been arrested.

Officials said Lazo-Quintanilla had been living unlawfully in the United States.

Federal authorities said the arrest took place Oct. 24 in Maryland after Lazo-Quintanilla was convicted of driving without a license. A background check revealed he is wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide, extortion, and drug possession, along with other felony charges.

The 18th Street Gang, known in Spanish as Barrio 18, is listed by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization. Homeland Security officials described the group as one of Central America’s largest and most violent criminal networks.

The press release said about 70% of ICE arrests involve illegal aliens who have been charged or convicted of a U.S. crime. That figure, according to DHS, does not include gang members, terrorists, or fugitives whose offenses occurred outside the country.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Lazo-Quintanilla’s arrest demonstrates ICE’s focus on removing “the worst of the worst.” She said the case proves the agency is targeting violent offenders “before they can victimize Americans.”

McLaughlin added that ICE agents have arrested nearly 500,000 illegal aliens nationwide this year, with most facing criminal charges or prior convictions.

ICE said Lazo-Quintanilla remains in federal custody pending deportation and possible extradition to El Salvador, where he faces long-standing felony warrants.

Officials said his case highlights ongoing cooperation between U.S. and Central American law-enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling transnational criminal gangs operating inside the United States.