BALTIMORE — Federal authorities have arrested a high-ranking MS-13 leader with influence over gang operations in the United States, Mexico, and Europe, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced.
David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman, 27, an undocumented Salvadoran national, was taken into custody on Feb. 27 in Hyattsville, Maryland, in a joint operation between ICE and the FBI. He faces charges in El Salvador for possession of a firearm, extortion, and terrorist affiliation.
“The apprehension of David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman strikes a significant blow to the leadership and organization of the MS-13 terrorist organization,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston.
Authorities said Orellana, who entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date and location, directed MS-13 activity across multiple countries. FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno called his arrest a major step in disrupting gang-related violence. “Maryland is immediately safer because of this arrest,” he said. “His arrest demonstrates the success we can have when we collectively investigate and disrupt violent criminals seeking to exploit our communities.”
Orellana was previously arrested in El Salvador in 2016 and charged with gang-related crimes. In the U.S., he was arrested in Prince George’s County, Maryland, on Dec. 9, 2024, for driving without a license.
