Attica, NY — A suspected MS-13 gang member from El Salvador who was convicted in a New York robbery case is now in federal immigration custody after ICE officers arrested him immediately following his release from state prison.
Josue Coreas-Chavez, 29, was taken into custody by ICE Buffalo on April 18 after being released from the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Federal officials said Coreas-Chavez is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and is suspected of having ties to the MS-13 street gang. He is currently being held pending immigration proceedings that could result in his removal from the United States.
Convicted in Suffolk County Robbery Case
Coreas-Chavez was sentenced in January 2025 by Suffolk County Court for his role in a robbery case.
According to ICE, he received three years in prison and five years of supervised release after being convicted of second-degree attempted robbery.
He was also sentenced to one to three years for conspiracy and an additional 364 days for criminal facilitation.
ICE officials said Coreas-Chavez also faces other pending criminal charges.
Those charges include allegations of robbery, kidnapping, assault, coercion, unlawful imprisonment, and grand larceny.
Entered United States as Unaccompanied Minor
According to ICE, Coreas-Chavez entered the United States illegally near Hidalgo, Texas, on March 22, 2014.
Federal officials said U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered him as a 17-year-old unaccompanied minor and issued him a notice to appear before immigration authorities.
Border Patrol subsequently transferred him to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which later released him to his father in New York.
Key Points
• ICE arrested suspected MS-13 gang member Josue Coreas-Chavez upon his release from a New York prison.
• He was sentenced to three years for attempted robbery and also convicted of conspiracy and criminal facilitation.
• ICE says he entered the United States illegally in 2014 as an unaccompanied juvenile.
ICE Says Removal Proceedings Are Pending
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Executive Associate Director Marcos Charles highlighted Coreas-Chavez’s criminal convictions and pending charges while announcing the arrest.
“In January 2025, the Suffolk County Court sentenced Coreas-Chavez to three years of incarceration and five years of supervised release for second-degree attempted robbery,” Charles said.
Federal immigration officials have not announced a date for future immigration court proceedings.
Coreas-Chavez remains in ICE custody while removal proceedings move forward. Immigration judges will determine whether he will be deported from the United States.
