A notorious Salvadoran gang member on El Salvador’s most-wanted list has been apprehended on U.S. soil, according to federal authorities.
Antonio Israel Lazo-Quintanilla was arrested in Maryland earlier this month after being stopped for allegedly driving without a license, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a news release.
While this is his first known encounter with U.S. law enforcement, DHS said officials soon discovered he is wanted in El Salvador for a series of serious crimes, including aggravated homicide, extortion, and drug possession.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that “70% of ICE arrests are of criminal illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the United States.” She described Lazo-Quintanilla as “a perfect example of ICE targeting the worst of the worst.”
“He may lack a violent rap sheet in the U.S., but this criminal illegal alien is clearly a public safety threat,” McLaughlin added.
According to DHS, Lazo-Quintanilla is a confirmed member of the 18th Street Gang — a well-known and violent criminal organization that the Trump administration designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
McLaughlin also pushed back against criticism of immigration enforcement, saying “The media’s false claims that ICE is not arresting the worst of the worst simply has no grounding. In reality, ICE is arresting criminal illegal aliens before they can victimize Americans.”
Details about when or how Lazo-Quintanilla entered the United States have not yet been released.
The 18th Street Gang is considered one of the largest and most dangerous gangs in the Western Hemisphere, linked to attacks on security personnel, civilians, and public officials in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, according to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
