A member of El Salvador’s 18th Street gang wanted in his home country on three homicide charges was deported Friday by U.S. authorities.
Officials do not know when 24-year-old Noe Alvarez first crossed into America. U.S. Border Patrol apprehended him near Eagle Pass, Texas, in September 2019, and he was deported back to El Salvador by Immigration and Customs Enforcement three months later.
That did not deter Mr. Alvarez, who was caught after re-entering the U.S. on May 7, 2020. He was immediately sent to Mexico under the Title 42 policy, which allows the federal government to immediately expel immigrants during a health emergency, in this case the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. officials do not know when nor where he crossed the border for the third time.
On Dec. 12, Mr. Alvarez was apprehended by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston fugitive officers as a foreign fugitive. Mr. Alvarez was then detained until his deportation back to El Salvador.
Mr. Alvarez returns to a country in the midst of an anti-gang crackdown.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele enacted a state of emergency to tackle gang violence in March 2022, and the civil rights of gang members have been restricted as part of enforcement actions.
The state of emergency was extended for another month with a 67-6 vote in El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly Tuesday night. Justice and Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said 64,000 people had been arrested during the state of emergency, with 57,000 awaiting formal charges or trial.
“The historic results achieved in security confirm for us that we’re on the right path, transforming the country,” Mr. Villatoro told the assembled lawmakers, according to the Associated Press.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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