Federal agents arrested an alleged high-ranking MS-13 gang member on Wednesday, July 9 in Omaha, Nebraska. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said he is wanted in El Salvador and is connected to five murders, among other charges.
ICE has not yet released the name of the man accused of murder, who they say is one of El Salvador’s top 100 most wanted fugitives. A video released by ICE shows authorities pulling over a vehicle in Omaha, then arresting the driver.
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Officials said they also arrested the person he lived with, alleged MS-13 gang member Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, who is wanted in El Salvador. Escobar Ochoa is accused of ordering gang members to commit crimes, including drug trafficking and murder.
“These illegal aliens didn’t just sneak into our country — they brought with them a legacy of violence, terror and death,” Mark Zito, the Homeland Security Investigations special agent overseeing Omaha, said. “They thought they could hide in America’s heartland, but they were sadly mistaken. Not on our watch.”
Omaha’s KETV said ICE investigators received a tip on Tuesday, July 8, that the two men were in the city. ICE did not share any plans to immediately deport the men wanted in El Salvador. The agency said Homeland Security investigators and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are conducting an investigation.
ICE operations in Omaha
ICE has been ramping up enforcement in Omaha, where in June agents arrested around 70 people while searching Glenn Valley Foods, an Omaha meat production plant. The agency said it was the largest worksite enforcement operation in Nebraska since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Authorities said the people arrested were using stolen Social Security numbers and identities to work there. Company officials told the AP they were stunned by the arrests because they use E-Verify to check the immigration status of workers.
During the June 10 operation, ICE said agents and other federal partners were assaulted by one of the people arrested. During the operation, a small group of people showed up at the facility to protest as agents drove people away.
The opposition prompted ICE to comment on community reaction after announcing Wednesday’s MS-13-related arrest.
“Our ICE officers and agents are protecting your neighborhoods, even when you don’t know the threat is there, so either support them or get out of the way,” ICE acting director Todd Lyons said.
Across the country, people have protested ramped-up immigration operations led by the agency.
