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William Alberto Villalobos-Melendez, originally from El Salvador, had been living in the United States illegally since 2016, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents said. According to officials, he is a confirmed member of MS-13, a transnational gang known for brutal violence and drug trafficking.
“William Alberto Villalobos-Melendez has been illegally residing in the United States for almost nine years,” said ICE ERO Boston Acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He is a validated member of a violent transnational street gang and poses a threat to our Massachusetts residents.”
Villalobos was arrested by ICE agents working with the FBI and Homeland Security officers in New England. Authorities say he will remain in federal custody while awaiting deportation.
He was first arrested by the US Border Patrol near Hidalgo, Texas, in 2016 after entering the country without authorization. A Department of Justice immigration judge ordered his removal in 2019, but Villalobos remained in the country.
Earlier this year, on March 13, Middleboro State Police charged him with unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and using an electronic device while driving.
“ICE Boston will not tolerate any threat that a member of a nefarious gang poses to our neighbors,” Hyde said. “We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting criminal alien threats to our New England communities.”
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