BOSTON— Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has made a decisive move against one of El Salvador's most notorious figures, removing MS-13 gang leader Wilmer Alexi Garcia-Manzanarez from the United States on November 3. This shocking operation followed years of legal maneuvering that allowed Garcia-Manzanarez to evade justice despite having an active warrant for murder in his home country.

Garcia-Manzanarez, who has a rap sheet in the U.S. that includes burglary, menacing with a weapon, and multiple DUI offenses, was not just a minor player. He is linked to violent crimes and has been repeatedly deported, yet he managed to return to the U.S. illegally three times between 2007 and 2012. His detention comes after a long history of defying U.S. immigration laws, having originally entered the country illegally through the Canadian border on March 6, 2001.

“This criminal illegal alien is OUT of our country,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, highlighting the urgency of the operation. “The Biden administration let this MS-13 gang member and wanted murderer claim fear of returning to El Salvador despite having a final order of removal and three prior deportations.”

The recent removal was part of broader enforcement operations, including Operation Patriot, targeting the most dangerous offenders in Massachusetts—a state known for its sanctuary policies. Critics argue that these policies have allowed criminals like Garcia-Manzanarez to slip through the cracks, endangering local communities.

Garcia-Manzanarez was first arrested by ICE in February 2024 in Foxboro, Massachusetts, but his long saga of criminality began well before that date. Authorities in El Salvador had issued a warrant for his arrest, and in January 2020, Interpol took the unusual step of issuing a Red Notice for his apprehension.

His removal has raised questions about immigration enforcement and the efficacy of local policies that prioritize the protection of undocumented individuals over public safety. “The days of the world’s criminals indefinitely remaining in our country are over,” McLaughlin declared, signaling a hardline approach to immigration enforcement that aims to keep communities safe from violent offenders.

As this story unfolds, the implications of sanctuary city policies and their impact on public safety remain a hotly debated topic in Massachusetts and beyond.