McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a member of the Mexican Gulf cartel who was crossing the Rio Grande into South Texas, the agency said Monday.
The arrest occurred Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m. near Rio Grande City, agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector said.
Several people were arrested and among them was one individual who Border Patrol officials say is an active Gulf cartel member as well as a member of the Paisas Mexican prison gang.
“The arrest of a member of the Gulf Cartel-Paisas gang underscores the tireless efforts of our Border Patrol agents in safeguarding our nation. This arrest highlights our unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal organizations that threaten our communities,” Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez said in a statement.
Agency officials said the individual had entered the United States illegally several times before and will be charged with illegal reentry into the United States.
Since President Donald Trump office, the administration has sent announcements that several alleged members of Mexican drug cartels and gangs, like Paisas, have been arrested and or sent back to Mexico.
On Feb. 13, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement returned to Mexico from South Texas Humberto Romero Avila, 45, who officials say is a member of the Paisas gang and had illegally entered the United States 10 times. He was wanted in Mexico on murder charges.
“In the more than 30 years that I’ve worked in immigration enforcement, I’m not sure I’ve ever come across a more egregious offender or a better example of why immigration enforcement is so critical to maintaining public safety,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said of Avila’s removal.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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