MS-13 gang member apprehended after illegally crossing border in San Diego County

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the San Diego Sector recently apprehended a known Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang member after he was spotted illegally crossing the border near Potrero, California.

The incident began as agents responded to report of a suspected illegal border crossing near the town of Potrero just north of the international border. The agents then encountered three men who were attempting to conceal themselves in brush.

After a brief round of questioning, the agents determined that all three individuals were present in the country illegally, who were then transported to a nearby processing facility. From there, the agents discovered that one of the men, a 32-year old citizen of El Salvador, was a documented MS-13 gang member.

The man was placed into federal custody and is facing a charge of reentering the United States as a previously-deported foreign national.

“This arrest serves as a prime example of our agency’s commitment to prevent potentially dangerous people from reaching our communities,” Mark Moody, patrol agent in charge for the El Cajon Station, said. “Criminals who enter our country will be prosecuted and ultimately removed.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of the nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry.