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OAN’s Roy Francis
3:38 PM – Saturday, August 12, 2023
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that an MS-13 gang member has been caught attempting to enter the United States illegally.
Emerson Lopez Fugon, an MS-13 gang member, and a registered sex offender who is originally from Honduras, was arrested by Texas DPS this week. Texas Rangers reported that Fugon was found hiding on a train near Eagle Pass, Texas.
MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is a violent gang that was established by Central American immigrants in Los Angeles that is known for gruesome crimes whose motto is “mata, roba, viola, controla” which means “kill, steal, rape, control.”
Lieutenant Chris Olivarez credited the capture to Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas). He said if not for the governor and his launch and support of Operation Lone Star, Fugon would have made it further into the U.S.
Governor Abbott had launched Operation Lone Star in 2021 in response to rise in illegal migrant that have been crossing the southern border. The governor had directed the Texas DPS to “use available resources to enforce all applicable federal and state laws to prevent the criminal activity along the border” according to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission website.
As of June, DPS has reportedly arrested 111 MS-13 members. Members of the gang are known for attempting to blend in with migrants as they try to cross the border and enter the country.
Over the past week, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens also confirmed that six sex offenders had been caught by Border Patrol agents which included one gang member and one convicted felon.
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