BALTIMORE, MD—A Salvadoran national, who is an illegal immigrant and MS-13 gang member, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Maryland this week.
Nelson Vladimir Amaya-Benitez, a 26-year-old Salvadoran national, was arrested in Gaithersburg on Monday, May 12, 2925 by ICE after he was convicted of attempted motor vehicle theft in April. Amaya-Benitez is a validated MS-13 gang member.
Amaya-Benitez has been previously arrested and convicted in Maryland and Texas, and has been deported back to El Salvador once already, according to ICE.
Amaya-Benitez illegally entered the U.S. for the first time in February 2016, and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol. He was served with a notice to appear, then arrested by the Irving Police Department in Texas and charged with possession of marijuana later that year.
He was convicted and served 36 days in confinement. In October 2016, he was arrested again, this time for unauthorized use of a vehicle and evading arrest.
Amaya-Benitez was convicted of those charges in November 2018 and sentenced to 90 days in confinement. ICE lodged an immigration detainer on Amaya with the Montgomery County Detention Center the following day.
In May 2017, Amaya-Benitez was arrested in Montgomery County for armed robbery. ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the Montgomery County Detention Center, but he was released from custody.
He was convicted of robbery and sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all except for 18 months suspended.
A judge ordered Amaya-Benitez to be deported in August 2019, and he was removed to El Salvador.
However, he illegally re-entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location.
ICE has lodged five detainers against Amaya-Benitez, none of which were honored, allowing him to return to the streets and reoffend.
Amaya-Benitez is currently in ICE custody.
“The arrest of this criminal alien MS-13 gang member is yet another stark reminder of the dangers posed when our immigration laws are not enforced,” said ICE Baltimore acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker. “This individual, who had previously been removed from the United States, reentered illegally and repeatedly jeopardized the safety of our Maryland communities.”
This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.
Photo via ICE Baltimore
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