BOSTON, MA – Federal immigration officers have deported a known MS-13 gang leader from Massachusetts to El Salvador, officials announced.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston confirmed the removal of Wilmer Alexi Garcia-Manzanarez on November 3.
Garcia-Manzanarez, a Salvadoran national, was wanted in his home country for homicide and terrorist affiliation and was the subject of Interpol Red Notices.
In the U.S., he had been convicted of burglary, menacing with a weapon, driving under the influence, property damage, and driving without a license.
ICE says deportation makes Massachusetts safer
ICE Boston acting Field Office Director David Wesling said the deportation enhances public safety in the region, citing Garcia-Manzanarez’s violent history and gang connections.
“Garcia-Manzanarez represents a significant threat to our Massachusetts communities,” Wesling said. “ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of American citizens by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from New England.”
Authorities said U.S. Border Patrol first arrested Garcia-Manzanarez after he crossed the Canadian border illegally on March 6, 2001. He was ordered removed by a Department of Justice immigration judge in 2002 but refused to leave.
Repeat deportations and international warrant
ICE records show Garcia-Manzanarez was deported three times between 2007 and 2012 but returned illegally each time.
El Salvador later issued a warrant for his arrest, and Interpol released a Red Notice for his capture in January 2020.
ICE officers arrested him again in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on February 18, 2024, before coordinating his most recent removal to Salvadoran authorities.
A known MS-13 gang leader with multiple U.S. convictions has been deported from Massachusetts to El Salvador.
