MS-13 Gang Member Found in Texas

An MS-13 gang member wanted for murder in El Salvador was found living in Houston after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, leading to his arrest and deportation by federal agents earlier this year.

An MS-13 gang member wanted for murder in El Salvador was discovered living in Houston, Texas, earlier this year after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Alexis Bladimir Canizales Romero, a 27-year-old from El Salvador, first crossed the border in March 2020 but was expelled under then-President Donald Trump’s Title 42 policy. Undeterred, Canizales Romero later re-entered the U.S. undetected as a "got-away," one of over two million who have crossed during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s administration.

In March, Canizales Romero was arrested in Harris County, Texas, for drunk driving. During a background check, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents discovered he was an MS-13 gang member wanted in El Salvador for aggravated femicide, homicide, and unlawful association. ICE quickly placed a detainer on him, and he was taken into federal custody.

In July, a federal immigration judge ordered Canizales Romero's deportation. On August 30, ICE agents deported him to El Salvador, where he will face charges for multiple murders.