ICE says it arrested MS-13 ‘kingpin' in Omaha
OMAHA — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a man Wednesday from El Salvador that ICE described as one of that country's most wanted criminals and said they had found him hiding in Nebraska's largest city.
ICE did not identify the man, telling reporters the investigation was not yet complete. But in a Wednesday press release it described him as an 'MS-13 kingpin' and said he was wanted for murder.
Nebraska U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., in a statement posted on social media outlet X, thanked federal and local law enforcement agencies for working 'around the clock to keep our Nebraska communities safe.'
The ICE release described the arrested leader as wanted in connection with the homicides of five people, an attempt on at least one more and affiliation with an gang it alleged engaged in terrorism.
Federal law enforcement officials announced that he was arrested with another member of the MS-13 gang also in the country without documentation. They identified him as Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, 30.
ICE, in the release, said he is accused of having given orders to fellow gang members 'to commit a variety of crimes, including multiple homicides, extortion, imprisonment and drug trafficking.'
Both men were arrested 'without incident' in a joint law enforcement operation that included ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
It said the men had lived in Omaha.
'They thought they could hide in America's heartland, but they were sadly mistaken,' said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito, whose office oversees Omaha. 'Not on our watch.'
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
He came across a missing girl and hatched a nasty plan
A predatory sex offender abused a missing 15-year-old girl after encountering her alone at night. Brandon Ormond convinced his victim that he was a "good person" after approaching her in the street and handing her religious literature. But he then whisked the vulnerable teen away to a secluded area near to a beach, where he subjected her to a series of vile sexual acts. Having then abandoned her once more in the early hours, she was ultimately discovered by police in distress near to a Morrisons supermarket. Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, that the teenager went missing from home before travelling to New Brighton, Wirral, by bus, arriving in the area at around 10.30pm. She was then located by police at around 6am the following day, at which stage she "became visibly upset" and disclosed to officers that she had been subjected to a sexual assault. READ MORE: What I saw Man United supporters do in New York spoke volumes - I bet it wasn't the case for Everton READ MORE: Hillsborough families urge Keir Starmer not to hire former S*n editor Frances Wilmott, prosecuting, described how the girl went on detail how Ormond, of Ripon Road in Wallasey, had approached her and began talking to her. Despite having been "initially wary" of him, the 29-year-old went on to "tell her that he was a Christian and gave her a religious leaflet", which "made her think he was a good person". The two thereafter sat on a bench, where the defendant asked if he could put his arm around her while "saying it was cold". Ormond subsequently suggested that they move to an underpass near to the beach as it "would be warmer", then began kissing the schoolgirl in this location in spite of being told of her young age. Having subsequently "asked if she wanted to have sex", he pulled down his trousers and performed a sexual act upon her and "told her he thought she was fit" before being disturbed by a barking dog. Ormond then left the girl and returned home at around 3.30am, leaving her to walk to the nearby Morrisons store alone before being found by police at daybreak. Having been identified and arrested, he told detectives that he believed the complainant was homeless and aged 18. When his phone was analysed, it was found to contain a number of pictures of "partially dressed young girls in sexualised poses". These photographs did not result in criminal charges however, as they were not deemed to be indecent images by law. Martine Snowdon, defending, told the court: "There are references from a number of people who speak well of him. He has read to me a short letter which he wanted to write to your honour, reinforcing his remorse and recognising the impact. "He had difficult circumstances in his upbringing. A single mother brought him up. He had a relationship with his father, although he died a few years ago. He fell out of education. He is motivated to work in a positive way and hopes to be a better person. He has got support with that and a willingness to do that." Ormond admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a navy blue Regatta fleece and with a crucifix on show around his neck, he was jailed for 38 months. Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton said: "You were 29 when you sexually abused [victim's name], who was 15 years of age, although that was not the sum total of her vulnerabilities. You have no previous convictions, and that is something that I will take into account in your favour. "She ran away from home. She travelled to New Brighton, where, in what must have been the early hours of the morning, you came across her alone. I do not know how much time you spent with her, but you left her alone at 3.30 in the morning. "It must have been obvious to you quite quickly that she was young, and she told you that she was 15. It must have been obvious to you that she was vulnerable from the fact that it was cold. "She was somebody who needed your help. It should have been obvious to you that she had other difficulties. Yet, despite that, rather than taking her to a police station or calling the police, you invited her to come down an underpass onto the beach, where you sat with her. "From that moment, you were preying on her vulnerability. You need to be aware of the impact that you have had. Her life, her self esteem, her self confidence, her ability to cope with the world and others, all of this has been compromised by what you did to her. "You were under the influence of alcohol. You have sought help while in custody. I think you say that you had something like six cans before you committed these offences. I take into account that you show some remorse. "You yourself come from a background which was, in some ways, difficult. I am satisfied that you do show an interest sexually in young girls." Ormond was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Terrified by Trump raids, LA's undocument migrants hide at home
For over a month, Alberto has hardly dared to leave the small room he rents in someone's backyard for fear of encountering the masked police who have been rounding up immigrants in Los Angeles. "It's terrible," sighed the 60-year-old Salvadoran, who does not have a US visa. "It's a confinement I wouldn't wish upon anyone." To survive, Alberto -- AFP agreed to use a pseudonym -- relies on an organization that delivers food to him twice a week. "It helps me a lot, because if I don't have this... how will I eat?" said Alberto, who has not been to his job at a car wash for weeks. The sudden intensification of immigration enforcement activity in Los Angeles in early June saw scores of people -- mostly Latinos -- arrested at car washes, hardware stores, on farms and even in the street. Videos circulating on social media showed masked and heavily armed men pouncing on people who they claimed were hardened criminals. However, critics of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweeps say those snatched were only trying to earn a meagre wage in jobs that many Americans don't want to do. The raids -- slammed as brutal and seemingly arbitrary -- sparked a wave of demonstrations that gripped the city for weeks, including some that spiraled into violence and vandalism. Alberto decided to hole up in his room after one such raid on a car wash in which some of his friends were arrested, and subsequently deported. Despite being pre-diabetic, he is hesitant to attend an upcoming medical appointment. His only breath of fresh air is pacing the private alley in front of his home. "I'm very stressed. I have headaches and body pain because I was used to working," he said. In 15 years in the United States, Trump's second term has turned out to be "worse than anything" for him. - 'Ghost town' - Trump's immigration offensive was a major feature of his re-election campaign, even winning the favor of some voters in liberal Los Angeles. But its ferocity, in a place that is home to hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers, has taken the city by surprise. Faced with mounting raids, migrants are limiting their movement as much as possible. In June, the use of the public transportation system -- a key network for the city's poorer residents -- dropped by 13.5 percent compared to the previous month. "As you're driving through certain neighborhoods, it looks like a ghost town sometimes," said Norma Fajardo, from the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, a non-profit organization that supports these workers. It has joined forces with other groups to deliver hundreds of bags of food every week to those afraid to step outside. "There is a huge need for this," said the 37-year-old American. "It's very saddening and infuriating. Workers should be able to go to work and not fear getting kidnapped." In June, ICE agents arrested over 2,200 people in the Los Angeles area, according to internal documents analyzed by AFP. About 60 percent of them had no criminal record. Given the colossal resources recently allocated to ICE by Congress -- nearly $30 billion to bolster immigration enforcement, including funding to recruit 10,000 additional agents -- Fajardo says she is not expecting any let up. - 'New normal' - "It seems like this is the new normal," she sighed. "When we first heard of an ICE raid at a car wash, we were in emergency crisis mode. Now we are just really accepting that we need to plan for the long term." Food assistance has also become essential for Marisol, a Honduran woman who has been confined to her building for weeks with 12 family members. "We constantly thank God (for the food deliveries) because this has been a huge relief," says the 62-year-old Catholic, who has not attended Mass in weeks. Marisol -- not her real name -- has hung up curtains on the windows at her home entrance to block any view from outside. She forbids her grandchildren from opening the door and worries enormously when her daughters venture out to work a few hours to provide for the family's needs. "Every time they go out, I pray to God that they come back, because you never know what might happen," she said. Marisol and her family fled a Honduran crime gang 15 years ago because they wanted to forcibly recruit her children. Now, some of them wonder if it's worth continuing to live in the United States. "My sons have already said to me: 'Mom, sometimes I would prefer to go to Europe.'" rfo/hg/aks
Washington Post
22 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Teacher hired in Arkansas charged in Devil's Den park killing of couple that was hiking with kids
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas police charged a 28-year-old school teacher in the killing of a married couple who were hiking with their children at Devil's Den State Park, finding him in a nearby city after a five-day search and public pleas for trailgoers to look through their photos. State Police arrested Andrew James McGann at a barbershop in Springdale, said Col. Stacie Rhoads, commander of the department's criminal investigation division. He was charged with two counts of capital murder and was being held Thursday in the state's Washington County jail.
