Border Patrol Arrests MS-13 Gang Member in Portland, Maine

A 27-year-old Salvadoran national with suspected ties to the violent gang MS-13 was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Portland, Maine, on April 15, 2025. The individual, who was found to be unlawfully present in the United States, is currently in custody pending removal proceedings and will be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations.

The arrest was carried out by the Border Patrol’s Anti-Smuggling Unit (ASU), a specialized team responsible for intelligence-led enforcement operations. During the investigation, ASU agents identified the man’s location in Portland and confirmed his suspected affiliation with Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13. The gang was officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State earlier this year.

MS-13 has a longstanding reputation for involvement in violent crime and other illicit activities across the United States. The Department of State designated the organization as a terrorist entity on February 6, 2025, under Public Notice 12672, citing its threat to national security. Border Patrol officials emphasized that identifying and removing such individuals remains a top enforcement priority.

The arrest in Portland follows a broader trend of gang-related apprehensions in the region. So far this year, Border Patrol agents in Maine have arrested individuals connected to both MS-13 and the Tren De Aragua gang. Nationally, 218 gang-affiliated individuals have been apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2025. Officials say operations like this reflect the agency’s ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal and terrorist networks operating within U.S. borders.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a U.S. Border Patrol press release

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