DENVER, Colo. — An MS-13 gang member from El Salvador, wanted in his home country for aggravated extortion, was removed to El Salvador Wednesday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
Oscar Antonio Rosas-Alas, 23, was arrested without incident by ICE deportation officers in Eagle County, Colorado, on March 19, 2018. Rosas-Alas is a fugitive wanted on an Interpol warrant for aggravated extortion; he is described in the warrant as being armed and dangerous, an escape risk and having violent tendencies. The warrant also states Rosas-Alas is associated with the Mara Salvatrucha gang, more commonly known as MS-13. He remained in federal custody until his Feb. 20 deportation.
“Our ICE officers aggressively work to remove dangerous criminal aliens from the United States, such as Rosas-Alas,” said Jeffrey D. Lynch, field office director for ERO Denver. “ICE prioritizes removing known gang members and fugitive criminal aliens so they can face justice in their home country.”
Rosas-Alas illegally entered the United States near McAllen, Texas, in 2016. He eventually made his way to Colorado where he gained the attention of local peace officers, and he was subsequently arrested by ICE deportation officers.
Rosas-Alas was flown on an ICE Air Operations charter flight to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Salvador, El Salvador. Upon arrival, Rosas-Alas was transferred to the custody of El Salvador’s Policia Nacional Civil (PNC).
ICE removed or returned 258,085 aliens in fiscal year 2018. Enforcement and removal operations arrested 158,581 aliens, 90 percent of whom had criminal convictions, pending criminal charges, or previously issued final orders. The overall arrest figure represents an 11 percent increase over fiscal year 2017.
