The Trump administration is hard at work…
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made a high-profile arrest on Monday in Maryland.
DHS told Fox News Digital that Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez, 38, is a “validated MS-13 gang member” from El Salvador who had no visas “approved or pending” at the moment of his arrest.
“ICE Baltimore arrested Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez an MS-13 gang member with an Interpol Red Notice. He first entered the country illegally in 2005 and was deported. He then reentered our country at an unknown date before he was arrested by HIS Baltimore in 2014. He was issued a notice to appear and released back into Silver Spring, MD,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
An Interpol Red Notice is put out by the international legal group asking to “locate and provisionally arrest” somebody. It’s not considered an “international arrest warrant,” but it’s meant to make sure a person is taken into custody for further legal action, according to Interpol’s website. The Red Notice database has over 6,500 individuals.
The arrest comes as the Department of Homeland Security marks 100 days with Secretary Kristi Noem at the helm as of Monday.
“This criminal illegal gang member and suspected terrorist should have never been released into our country. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, he is off our streets and will soon be out of our country,” McLaughlin continued.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
