Illegal immigrant MS-13 leader shipped back to El Salvador — and could end up in mega-prison
El Salvador has taken a hard line on gang bangers, and ships them off to the notorious and controversial CECOT. AFP via Getty Images
A reputed MS-13 gang member who repeatedly entered the U.S. illegally has been captured by federal immigration agents and could be sent to one of El Salvador’s notorious mega-prisons.
Wilmer Alexi Garcia-Manzanarez, wanted on terror and homicide charges in his home country, was apprehended by ICE agents near Boston and deported back to El Salvador on Nov. 3, authorities said this week.
Garcia-Manzanarez first crossed into the U.S. from Canada in 2001 and later built a criminal record in Massachusetts, including convictions for burglary, menacing with a weapon, property damage, and drunken driving. “The removal of Wilmer Alexi Garcia-Manzanarez means that the residents of Massachusetts are exponentially safer,” said David Wesling, director of ICE’s Boston Field Office.
“Garcia-Manzanarez represents a significant threat to our communities,” Wesling added. “In addition to his extensive criminal history in the U.S., authorities in his home country wanted him for homicide and terrorist affiliation connected to gang activity.”
The federal agency said the gang leader had repeatedly violated U.S. law after his initial apprehension at the northern border on March 6, 2001, and had defied an immigration judge’s order the following year. He returned to the U.S. illegally at least three more times between 2007 and 2012 following previous deportations.
In January 2020, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Garcia-Manzanarez, seeking his arrest for multiple violent crimes, including offenses in El Salvador. ICE agents caught up with him on Feb. 18, 2024, initiating deportation proceedings that culminated in his removal from the U.S.
While authorities have not officially disclosed his destination, Garcia-Manzanarez is expected to be sent to El Salvador’s Center for the Confinement of Terrorism, a highly secure prison known for holding terrorists and violent gang leaders. The facility, part of the country’s tough approach to gang violence, is known for its strict supervision, crowded cells, and harsh conditions for inmates.
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