A self-identified member of the violent gang MS-13 was arrested on Saturday, telling authorities that he traveled to the United States with the migrant caravan.
“The incident occurred at approximately 6:09 p.m., when agents encountered a man just east of the Calexico Port of Entry suspected of being in the United States illegally,” the Customs and Border Protection news release states. “After a short interview, the man told agents he is a Honduran citizen and active gang member with the notorious Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) international crime organization. The man also told agents he traveled to the United States border with a large group of people from Central America intending on filing for asylum in the United States.”
The 29-year-old Jose Villalobos-Jobel will ultimately be repatriated to Honduras.
MS-13 gang member, Jose Villalobos-Jobel, 29, deported from America in 2006 is arrested at California border after joining the caravan from Honduras.
— Dalton (@DaltonReport) November 29, 2018
Confessed to the agents he joined a migrant caravan in Honduras.https://t.co/diP9K4T6Jb
@CBP @CBPElCentro reports detaining a member of the Central American caravan, who self-identified himself as a member of MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha 13, an international crime organization. His name is Jose Villalobos-Jobel, the press release says. More: https://t.co/KbMaLmjsQp
— WendyFry (@WendyFry_) November 29, 2018
“As President Trump and Secretary Nielsen warned, over the last few weeks we have identified over 600 known criminals and gang members in the caravan,” the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News in a statement. “We are now predictably seeing members of the caravan – which includes criminals - show up at the border and claim asylum. These threats are only going to increase in light of illegitimate judicial injunctions and loopholes created by Congress.”