KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Mexican national with deep gang ties and a long rap sheet is back in ICE custody after federal agents arrested him during a targeted operation on July 20. Mario Torrez-Lopez, 34, is a self-professed member of the violent Sureños gang and has been deported from the U.S. not once, but four times — in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Each time, he illegally returned and picked up right where he left off, racking up more criminal charges across multiple states.
Torrez-Lopez’s criminal career spans over a decade and includes everything from resisting arrest and reckless driving in Indianapolis to multiple convictions for illegal reentry after deportation. In 2018, he served 18 months in federal prison, followed by another 21-month sentence in 2020 for the same offense. Even after being placed on supervised release, he violated the terms and landed back in prison by 2022. During his time behind bars, he joined the Sureños, a notorious prison gang, and has stayed involved ever since.
“Torrez-Lopez is exactly the kind of threat we are determined to find, stop, and remove from our communities,” said Mark Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City. ICE has reinstated his prior deportation order, and he will remain in custody as he awaits court proceedings. Authorities emphasized that his repeated illegal returns and gang affiliations make him a high-priority case for removal.
