U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on April 23 the arrest of Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia, a Salvadoran national who illegally entered the United States and is wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide and illicit associations since October 2013.
The agency said Morales-Mejia was taken into custody on March 12 in Woodbridge, Virginia, after officers acted on updated information from El Salvador’s Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Task Force confirming her presence in Northern Virginia. She was served a notice to appear, according to the April 23 press release issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The statement also described Morales-Mejia as a documented associate of the violent MS-13 gang.
Northern Virginia has faced persistent challenges from MS-13 gang activity, with documented cases of violence, extortion, and recruitment in communities including Woodbridge and surrounding areas. Federal and local law enforcement have conducted multiple operations targeting gang members and associates operating across the region. These efforts focus on removing individuals with foreign warrants to prevent further harm to residents, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
MS-13 remains a priority target for federal enforcement as a violent transnational criminal organization responsible for homicides, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes across the United States. ICE operations have resulted in thousands of arrests of gang members and associates, many of whom entered the country illegally to evade justice abroad. These actions protect American communities by removing individuals who pose ongoing public safety threats, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforces federal immigration laws through its Enforcement and Removal Operations division. The agency prioritizes the arrest and removal of criminal illegal aliens and foreign fugitives to safeguard communities. ICE works with international partners and task forces to locate and apprehend individuals wanted for serious offenses in their home countries, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.