BALTIMORE, MD—An MS-13 gang member wanted in his home country for firearms offenses was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Maryland last week, according to the agency.
Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez, a 38-year-old Salvadoran national, was taken into custody by ICE in Silver Spring on May 5, 2025. Mejia is a documented MS-13 gang member and has a final order of removal from the United States, ICE said.
Mejia was initially apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near Sullivan City, Texas in November 2004 and served with a notice to appear. He was subsequently ordered deported in absentia by an immigration judge in December 2005.
ICE first arrested Mejia in Prince George’s County Detention Center in September 2006 and deported him to El Salvador in December 2006. However, Mejia illegally re-entered the United States at an unknown date and location.
He was arrested again by ICE in March 2014 and served with a notice of intent to reinstate prior order of removal.
Mejia is currently in ICE custody pending repatriation.
“The arrest of this violent MS-13 gang member is a critical step in our ongoing mission to safeguard our communities,” said ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker. “We remain steadfast in prioritizing public safety and protecting national security by targeting and removing dangerous criminal aliens who threaten the well-being of our Maryland residents.”
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
Photos via ICE
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