U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported Yimi Samario Sevilla Leon, a 30-year-old man alleged to be the leader of an ultra-violent faction of the 18th Street gang known as “El Mango.” The removal took place on August 11, following cooperation between ICE offices in Houston and Honduras.
According to ICE, Sevilla and 24 other members of El Mango are wanted in Honduras for their involvement in a criminal conspiracy that reportedly relied on connections with corrupt police officers. The group is accused of armed robbery, kidnapping, theft, and multiple murders intended to intimidate others.
“This individual and his fellow gang members allegedly conducted armed robberies, kidnappings and theft to generate criminal proceeds for the gang, and anyone who dared to oppose them were brutally murdered to set an example,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez. “After Honduran authorities uncovered this murderous scheme, Sevilla cowardly fled to the U.S. Working in conjunction with our office in Honduras, we were able to locate and arrest him in East Houston and repatriate him to Honduras to ensure he faces justice for his alleged crimes.”
Sevilla entered the United States illegally near Eagle Pass on December 21, 2023. He was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol but released into the interior under immigration enforcement priorities at that time.
On February 24, 2025, ICE’s assistant attaché in Tegucigalpa informed ERO Houston that Sevilla was wanted by Honduran authorities and believed to be residing illegally in Houston. ICE officers located Sevilla during a multiagency operation on March 19.
A Justice Department immigration judge ordered his removal from the country on May 28. On August 11, he was transported from Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana via charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations Unit to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Upon arrival at Ramon Villeda International Airport, he was transferred into Honduran custody.
The operation received assistance from ERO Honduras as well as the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) Task Force. The SAFE Program is designed for fugitive enforcement and information sharing among various agencies within host countries; it helps locate individuals residing illegally in the United States who are subject to foreign arrest warrants through partnerships with law enforcement agencies abroad.
Members of the public with information about foreign fugitives can contact ICE through its tip line or online form.
For further updates about ERO Houston’s activities regarding immigration enforcement in Southeast Texas, information is available through their official Twitter account.
