Illegal immigrant MS-13 leader shipped back to El Salvador — and could end up in mega-prison

A notorious MS‑13 member who had long flouted U.S. borders was finally seized by federal immigration officials and is set to return to El Salvador’s infamous maximum‑security prison.

Wilmer Alexi Garcia‑Manzanarez—wanted in his homeland on terror and murder accusations—was apprehended by ICE agents near Boston and extradited back on Nov. 3, according to the feds’ latest statement.

Since first crossing from Canada in 2001, Garcia‑Manzanarez has earned a U.S. criminal record that includes burglary, armed menacing, property damage and drunk driving.

“By removing Wilmer Alexi Garcia‑Manzanarez, the safety of Massachusetts residents has sharply increased,” said David Wesling, Director of ICE Boston’s Field Office. “He poses a severe threat here, and in his native country he faces charges for homicide and terrorist ties linked to gang activity.”

The federal agents noted that the violent gang chief had been reported multiple times after his initial capture at the northern border on March 6, 2001, and subsequently ignored an immigration judge’s ruling the following year.

After being deported, Garcia‑Manzanarez re‑entered the U.S. at least three more times between January 2007 and October 2012, despite a series of prior expulsions, according to the agency.

In January 2020, Interpol issued a “Red Notice” for his arrest, citing a range of violent offenses, including those committed in El Salvador.

ICE agents in Boston apprehended him again on Feb. 18, 2024, and commenced deportation proceedings, resulting in his removal from the country on Nov. 3.

While the exact details of his confinement remain unconfirmed, it’s highly probable that Garcia‑Manzanarez will be sent to El Salvador’s Center for the Confinement of Terrorism—a heavily criticized mega‑prison that exemplifies the nation’s aggressive fight against gang activity.

Officials claim escape from the facility is impossible.

Inmates—predominantly gang leaders and terrorists—are typically crammed into small cells, constantly monitored, and often kept barefoot, as recent photographs indicate.