By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Buffalo's Peace Bridge border crossing apprehended an MS-13 gang member attempting to flee the U.S. for Canada.
Officers encountered a 24-year-old citizen of Honduras driving out of the U.S. on November 22, CBP said in a statement on Monday. He failed to provide the correct travel documents during the primary inspection and was subsequently directed to the secondary area to be questioned further.
During the secondary examination, officers confirmed his identity as Franklyn Hernandez Giron and learned that he was affiliated with MS-13. He was taken into custody by CBP officers and processed to face removal proceedings.
Read More on U.S.
"This example of the dangerous individuals our CBP officers encounter highlights the dedication and commitment these officers have to keeping our communities safe," Area Port Director Gaetano Cordone said in the statement. "I'm proud of the work our officers do every day to safeguard America."
...
Speaking on gang violence, Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar, who represents Texas' 28th congressional district, told Newsweek that MS-13 gang members are causing security issues.
"Whether it's the MS-13, whether it's the Tren de Aragua, those are the ones that are causing security issues to us, and those people should have never come in," he said. "We are allowing criminals to stay in our country when they should not be coming in at all."
MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is a gang primarily made up of Salvadorans that maintains its power, territory and profits through acts of kidnapping, extortion and murder.
One of the most notorious and violent criminal organizations globally, MS-13 originated in the 1980s in Los Angeles, California, formed by refugees fleeing the civil conflict in El Salvador. Since then, the gang has broadened its reach across the United States.
It became a transnational gang as MS-13 members who were deported from the U.S. to Central America helped establish gang ties and spread U.S. gang culture abroad.
MS-13's structure largely consists of loosely organized cells, or "cliques," that control specific territory.
According to CBP data, historically, MS-13 remains the most frequently apprehended gang, with a notable peak in 2019 (464 apprehensions) before declining to 64 in 2024. This suggests significant law enforcement action designed to dismantle the group and a shift in MS-13's activities over time.
According to a previous statement by the Department of Justice, combating MS-13 has been a top priority."
It comes after President-elect Donald Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico unless the countries curb what he described as the flow of drugs and migrants across their border.
If Trump follows through on his threat to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada, the resulting price hikes could clash with his campaign pledge to ease inflation for American families.
On immigration, U.S. Border Patrol reported 1.53 million encounters with migrants at the southwest border with Mexico from October 2023 to September 2024, compared to just 23,721 encounters at the Canadian border during the same period.
The flow of migrants and drug seizures at the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico differ significantly. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border in the last fiscal year, while at the Mexican border, the figure was 21,100 pounds.
Most of the fentanyl entering the U.S. is produced by Mexican drug cartels in clandestine labs using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Update 12/03/24 at 6:25 a.m. ET; This article was updated with the identity of the arrested man.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines