WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 131 people with alleged gang ties in a single week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. The figures were first given to Fox News Digital and cover Oct. 4 to Oct. 10.
The numbers come from DHS. The reports reviewed for this story do not include independent verification of the arrests or of the gang ties.
What DHS says
DHS said the arrests included 22 people it described as members of MS-13 and 13 it described as members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. The department said the arrests brought its total to 12,018 gang-related arrests since January 2025.
Two cases were singled out:
- Gustavo Adolfo Flores-Ramirez, a Salvadoran national, was arrested as an alleged MS-13 member.
- Jose Luis Perez-Arrias, a Venezuelan national, was arrested Wednesday in Tallahassee, Florida. DHS described him as an alleged Tren de Aragua member and suspected hitman.
DHS also said the week’s arrests included a suspected MS-13 member wanted for homicide and a teenage associate of Tren de Aragua facing murder charges.
What officials said
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the department would keep going after gang members. His statement came as the administration continues to push immigration enforcement as a top priority.
A related court fight
DHS has also criticized a judge’s ruling in a separate case. Judge Jinsook Ohta ordered the release of David Antonio Aviles Perez, an MS-13 member who is wanted for aggravated murder in El Salvador. DHS general counsel James Percival criticized the decision.
What “alleged” means
An arrest is not a conviction. In immigration enforcement, people can be detained and removed through administrative proceedings that differ from criminal trials. Gang membership claims often rely on law enforcement databases, tattoos, informants or social media, and defendants and advocates have disputed some of those claims in court.
DHS has not released a full list of the 131 people arrested this week.
