MS-13 Member Arrested with Car-load of Illegal Immigrants

July 15, 2014
KRGV.com ABC 5 Rio Grande, TX

STARR COUNTY – La Grulla police found a member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang among several illegal immigrants.

A La Grulla police officer pulled over a vehicle after a traffic violation. The officer discovered several undocumented immigrants.

The officer said he was shocked to find a member of the hyper-violent gang among the immigrants. He said the 26-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador was covered in tattoos linking him to the criminal organization.

The traffic stop happened on Military Road.

“I observed that the rear passenger had some tattoos on his elbow. Once I confronted him about them, he stated he was a gang member. Once I asked him to lift up his shirt, that’s where I observed he had MS-13 tattooed on his chest and his back,” the officer said.

The officer said he had never encountered a Mara Salvatrucha member.

“This department, we have never seen MS-13 gang members. We’ve seen our local gangs, you know, Vallucos and other gangs, but not MS-13,” the officer said.

The officer said there were some tense moments during the traffic stop.

“Once I confronted him … that’s where he started (showing) he was tough, and more aggressive,” the officer said.

The officer took precautions.

“Those are really dangerous subjects. I called for Border Patrol’s assistance,” the officer said.

“The subject was undocumented and Border Patrol took custody of the subject,” the officer said.

The officer said word on the streets is that gangs send members to the United States to recruit people.

Authorities say this isn’t the first time the gang member has been arrested in the United States. Records show he entered the country illegally twice before.