U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 38-year-old criminal alien Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez, a Salvadoran national, on May 5 in Silver Spring.
Mejia is a validated MS-13 gang member and is wanted in his home country for firearms offences.
The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended Mejia near Sullivan City, Texas, on November 22, 2004, and served him a notice to appear. A Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Mejia removed in absentia on December 14, 2005.
ICE Baltimore arrested Mejia from Prince George’s County Detention Centre on September 28, 2006. ICE removed Mejia from the United States to El Salvador on December 13, 2006.
Mejia reentered the United States on an unknown date at an unknown location without being inspected, admitted or paroled by an immigration officer.
ICE Baltimore arrested Mejia and served him a notice of intent to reinstate the prior order on March 20, 2014.
Mejia has a final removal order and will remain in ICE custody.
