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David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman, 27, was arrested in Hyattsville last week in a joint operation between US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI.
A high-ranking leader of the transnational MS-13 gang, Orellana-Aleman was wanted in El Salvador for firearm possession, extortion, and terrorist affiliation, according to ICE officials.
“The apprehension of David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman strikes a significant blow to the leadership and organization of the MS-13 terrorist organization,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston.
Authorities say Orellana-Aleman controlled MS-13’s operations across the United States, Mexico, and Europe.
“Maryland is immediately safer because of this arrest," added FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. "Working together, we took custody of one of the highest-ranking gang members in the United States."
Orellana-Aleman was first arrested in El Salvador in 2016 but later entered the US illegally at an unknown location and date, federal officials said.
His presence in Maryland was discovered in December 2024, when Prince George’s County Police arrested him for driving without a license.
Following his latest arrest, Orellana-Aleman remains in ICE custody.
“David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman is no longer in his alleged position of power directing violence," DelBagno added. "His arrest demonstrates the success we can have when we collectively investigate and disrupt violent criminals seeking to exploit our communities.”
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