United States Border Patrol (USBP) Chief Jason Owens has reported the recent arrest of another member of the MS-13 gang, marking the 41st such arrest in fiscal year 2024. Owens made this announcement in a May 1 post on X.
"USBP agents in New Orleans, LA conducted a vehicle stop & arrested an MS-13 gang member, Lorenzo Alexander Benitez, from El Salvador,” Chief Owens said," said Owens, USBP Chief, according to X. "He will be prosecuted for felony re-entry after being previously removed from the US. FY24: USBP agents have arrested 41 MS-13 gang members."
The arrested individual, Lorenzo Alexander Benitez, is an MS-13 gang member and native of El Salvador. According to the US Department of Justice, Benitez was apprehended for illegally re-entering the US after deportation. Benitez was deported on July 27, 2018, and his reentry violated Title 8, Section 1326(a). He now faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Chief Owens' X (Twitter)
| X (Twitter)
Earlier this year in March, another prominent member of MS-13, Freddy Ivan Jandres-Parada, was arrested after evading the FBI since 2020. The New York Post reported that Jandres-Parada had been listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for some time. "Jandres-Parada has been charged with several terrorism offenses for his alleged role in ordering numerous acts of violence against civilians, law enforcement, and rival gang members, as well as drug distribution and extortion schemes worldwide," stated the FBI on its website.
According to a report by the New York Post, MS-13 or "La Mara Salvatrucha," originated from a Central American street gang in Los Angeles during the 1980s. The gang's governing body is known as the "Twelve Apostles of the Devil" or "Ranfla Nacional," which began operating from a Salvadoran prison in 2002. Jandres-Parada was reportedly part of this governing body.
US Representative Tony Gonzales (R-TX) warned that MS-13 is not the only gang posing a threat to national security. As per Fox News, Gonzales stated that Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan street gang, could emerge as the primary criminal organization in the US in the coming years. The FBI has also recognized TdA as a potential threat, suggesting it could form an alliance with MS-13. TdA is notorious for its involvement in kidnapping, murder, and sex trafficking. "They're very vicious. They have no rules. They gobble up territory almost like a cancer," said Gonzales.
Chief Jason Owens is a seasoned law enforcement professional with 27 years of experience and serves as an executive leader (SES). According to his LinkedIn profile, he was appointed as the 26th Chief of the United States Border Patrol, which is part of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP is currently the largest law enforcement agency in the nation, employing over 60,000 individuals.
