Crime
MS-13 gang leader wanted by FBI captured in Mexico
José Wilfredo Ayala, wanted for federal crimes of homicide, robbery, and weapon possession, was arrested in Mexico with a Houston arrest warrant
April 19, 2023 11:26am
Updated: April 19, 2023 1:07pm
In a breaking news development, Mexico City Police arrested José Wilfredo Ayala, one of the top leaders of Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), previously accused of multiple crimes in the United States.
Ayala's apprehension was carried out by personnel from the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC), the National Intelligence Center (CNI), and the National Institute of Migration (INM), according to SSC head Omar García Harfuch.
Ayala had an outstanding arrest warrant in Houston for a series of federal crimes, including homicide, robbery, and illegal possession of firearms," Garcia stated.
La @SSC_CDMX en coordinación con #CNI e @INAMI_mx detuvieron a un hombre que pertenece al grupo delictivo Mara Salvatrucha; era buscado por los delitos federales de Homicidio, Robo, Portación de Armas, y cuenta con una orden aprehensión en Houston. pic.twitter.com/5gzjt1y8vZ
— Omar Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) April 18, 2023
Ayala's arrest in the Cuauhtémoc borough was a result of a citizen complaint about a foreign person who was a potential member of a criminal group operating in illegally in the country, according to the SSC.
Following the complaint, investigators determined the suspect was hiding under a false identity in the central Mexican municipalities of Mixquiahuala and Tunititlán, as well as in the center of Mexico City.
The agents conducted a surveillance operation of the place where the suspect was believed to be hiding in the Buenavista neighborhood of the Cuauhtémoc borough. Subsequently, the officers verified the man's identity and he was detained in compliance with police protocols.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified Ayala after the SSC shared photos of the suspect, which showed him with multiple tattoos on his chest and back, some of which had the phrase "Mara Salvatrucha" engraved.
On Sept. 22, 2022, an arrest warrant was issued against Ayala, who also went by the alias "El Indio de Hollywood." The accusations presented in the Eastern District of New York Court were related to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and extortion.
MS-13 is one of the most notoriously known and violent criminal gangs in Latin America, with its presence extending to El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, although its origins date back to the 1980s in Los Angeles.
They now operate in several major U.S. cities including Chicago, New York and the nation's capital in the District of Columbia.
