23 gang members, some with MS-13, arrested in Houston
23 gang members, associates during operation targeting MS-13
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Twenty-three gang members and gang associates have been arrested in Houston.
The arrests were part of a 26-day surge operation targeting MS-13 gang members.
Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations Houston worked with various federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Thirteen of those arrested during the operation are confirmed MS-13 gang members or gang associates.
Three of the MS-13 gang members were arrested on murder charges. They have been identified as Francisco Flores-Salazar, 19, Mario Guevara-Flores, 26, and Francisco Alberto Ancheta-Aquino, 21. They are Salvadoran nationals.
As gang activity has increased in Houston in recent years, HSI Houston and the Texas Anti-Gang Center have ramped up their law enforcement efforts to confront the problem head-on.
“Transnational criminal gangs like MS-13 pose an immediate threat to the safety and security of our local communities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mario Trevino. “Our ongoing efforts with our law enforcement partners targeting gang activity helps make our communities safer for everyone to live and work.”