Salvadoran man with alleged terrorist ties arrested in Carson City

The federal government said Wednesday it arrested a man in Carson City who is allegedly wanted in El Salvador for being a terrorist.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force arrested Rene Antonio Hernandez-Mejia, 35, a Salvador national, in Carson City on January 8, 2020. Hernandez-Mejia is listed on Interpol as being a terrorist, the Marshals Service said.

He is alleged to be part of the 18 Revolutionary Pandilla, which is a faction of an El Salvadorian gang called Shadow Park Locos, also known as “SPL”. This gang is alleged to be involved in terrorism, extortion and homicide, the Marshals Service said.

ICE arrested him because he was not in the United States legally. He will be deported to El Salvador to face charges, the Marshals Service said.

“The U.S. Marshals Service, along with ICE, an agency partner on the USMS Fugitive Task Force, are committed to keeping our community safe from any member of a Terroristic Organization, whether foreign or domestic,” Nevada U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield said in a statement.