ICE Re‑Arrests MS‑13 Member Wanted for Salvadoran Murder After 2023 California Release
ICE apprehended Danny Antonio Granados‑Garcia, an alleged MS‑13 member wanted in El Salvador on an active aggravated homicide warrant for the killing of a pastor, during a March 10 targeted enforcement operation in Waterbury, Connecticut; FBI Director Kash Patel publicly confirmed the warrant and Granados‑Garcia is now in ICE custody facing imminent deportation. DHS officials say he originally entered the U.S. near the Rio Grande in 2016 after falsely claiming to be an unaccompanied minor and was released, and Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized “non‑criminal” alien classifications while insisting enforcement continues amid a partial shutdown and leadership changes.
📌 Key Facts
- Danny Antonio Granados‑Garcia, a Salvadoran national and alleged MS‑13 member, is wanted in El Salvador on an active aggravated homicide warrant in the killing of a pastor; FBI Director Kash Patel publicly confirmed the warrant on X.
- DHS and ICE apprehended Granados‑Garcia during a focused enforcement operation on March 10 in Waterbury, Connecticut; he is in ICE custody and faces imminent deportation to El Salvador.
- Authorities say Granados‑Garcia was originally released into the U.S. near the Rio Grande Valley in 2016 after allegedly falsely claiming to be an unaccompanied minor.
- Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticized the "non‑criminal" alien categorization and stated that about 70% of ICE arrests involve illegal aliens who have been convicted of or charged with crimes in the U.S.
- DHS framed the arrest and pending deportation amid a partial DHS shutdown and a recent leadership shake‑up that installed Markwayne Mullin as secretary, insisting enforcement operations continue despite funding gaps.
📊 Relevant Data
MS-13 gang members in the United States are predominantly of Central American origin, with a significant majority being Salvadoran, and the gang's formation is linked to Salvadoran refugees who fled the civil war in the 1980s, which was exacerbated by U.S. foreign policy involvement supporting the Salvadoran government.
How the US helped create El Salvador's bloody gang war — The Guardian
In fiscal year 2024, 71.7% of ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations arrests involved noncitizens who were convicted criminals or had pending criminal charges, meaning approximately 28.3% were non-criminal arrests.
A True Comparison of ICE Arrests Under Trump II and Biden — Center for Immigration Studies
MS-13 gang violence often involves intra-ethnic victimization, with many victims being from Latino immigrant communities, including Salvadorans, and the gang preys upon these groups through extortion, harassment, and homicide.
Waterbury, Connecticut, has seen a significant increase in its Hispanic population, rising from about 31% in 2010 to 38.5% in 2024, with the overall population growing slightly amid demographic shifts.
Waterbury Demographics | Current Connecticut Census Data — Connecticut Demographics
Black immigrants face higher rates of deportation by ICE compared to other groups, with data showing they are more likely to be detained and removed, often due to disparities in criminal justice interactions.
Black Undocumented Migrants Face Far Higher Deportation Rates — Capital B News
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Identifies a separate Salvadoran national, Danny Antonio Granados‑Garcia, alleged MS‑13 member wanted on an active El Salvador arrest warrant for aggravated homicide in the killing of a pastor.
- Reports that DHS and ICE apprehended Granados‑Garcia in a March 10 focused enforcement operation in Waterbury, Connecticut, and that he is now in ICE custody facing imminent deportation.
- Discloses that he was originally released into the U.S. near the Rio Grande Valley in 2016 after falsely claiming to be an unaccompanied minor, during the Obama administration.
- Includes on‑the‑record comments from Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis criticizing the "non‑criminal" alien categorization and claiming 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens convicted or charged with a crime in the U.S.
- Notes public confirmation by FBI Director Kash Patel on X that Granados‑Garcia was wanted in El Salvador for the alleged murder of a pastor and had an active homicide warrant.
- Places the arrest and pending deportation in the context of the current partial DHS shutdown and recent leadership shake‑up that installed Markwayne Mullin as secretary, with DHS insisting enforcement continues despite funding gaps.