EXCLUSIVE: 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.
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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.
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The latest arrest comes as ICE touts over 65,000 illegal alien removals and over 66,000 arrests since Trump took office in January, including thousands with existing criminal convictions on top of being in the United States illegally.
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“The brave men and women of ICE protect our families, friends and neighbors by removing public safety and national security threats from our communities,” ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. “During President Trump’s first 100 days, ICE alone has arrested over 65,000 illegal aliens — including 2,288 gang members from Tren de Aragua, MS-13, 18th Street and other gangs. Additionally, 1,329 were accused or convicted of sex offenses, and 498 were accused or convicted of murder.”
Many alleged gang members have been to CECOT in El Salvador, which has garnered praise, but it’s also ignited a major debate about who qualifies for due process.
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The Trump administration has made the argument that members of designated foreign terrorist organization, which includes MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, do not go through the same legal processes, whereas many others, including Democrats, have argued to the contrary.
Meanwhile, encounters at the border have taken a nosedive in recent months.
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