PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD - Federal authorities have arrested a high-ranking MS-13 gang leader with ties to the United States, Mexico, and Europe. WJLA reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials announced the arrest of 27-year-old David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman on Monday, March 3rd.
Orellana-Aleman was arrested in Hyattsville on February 27th. He was taken into custody by ICE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Federal authorities said that Orellana-Aleman is a Salvadoran national who is wanted in his home country on charges of firearm possession, extortion, and terrorist affiliation.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston said in a statement, "The apprehension of David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman strikes a significant blow to the leadership and organization of the MS-13 terrorist organization. This arrest speaks volumes about the cooperation enjoyed between ICE and the FBI. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien offenders from our communities."
ICE described Orellana-Aleman has a high-ranking leader who played a key role in the gang's operations by controlling the "operation of MS-13 cliques in the United States, Mexico, and Europe." Federal authorities said Orellana-Aleman was first arrested in El Salvador on December 1, 2016, and charged as a documented member of MS-13.
At an unknown date and location, ICE said he entered the United States illegally before being arrested in Prince George's County in December 2024 for driving without a license. FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno said that this arrest makes Maryland a safer place. He said in a statement, "Maryland is immediately safer because of this arrest. Working together, we took custody of one of the highest-ranking gang members in the United States."
He added, "David Alejandro Orellana-Aleman is no longer in his alleged position of power directing violence. His arrest demonstrates the success we can have when we collectively investigate and disrupt violent criminals seeking to exploit our communities." Following his arrest, Orellana-Aleman remains in ICE custody.
In a separate incident, ICE announced the arrest of an MS-13 gang member in Iowa. On February 21st, ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested 28-year-old Luis Enrique Baires, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador. Baires is wanted in his home country on two counts of aggravated homicide, two counts of proposition and the conspiracy for the rime of aggravated homicide, and one count of illicit associations with the MS-13 Enfermos Criminales Salvatruchos clique.
He was arrested in Des Moines, Iowa, during a routine traffic stop. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Field Office Director Matthew Putra said, "Rual Iowa is not immune from central American criminals like Baires, and we will continue to face the challenge of tracking down and arresting the worst of the worst. Thanks to U.S. Marshals Service for assisting us in this arrest to keep communities safe."
Baires remains in ICE custody without bond pending the outcome of his removal proceedings.
