Authorities in Houston have arrested a murder suspect from El Salvador who they believe is affiliated with the violent MS-13 gang.
The arrest reportedly took place on Monday, as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office were performing a targeted arrest operation in the Colony Ridge area.
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Luis Miguel Perez-Miranda, a 34-year-old Salvadoran national, was apprehended after a manhunt in Dayton, Texas, and was subsequently taken to the Liberty County Jail. This arrest occurred just hours after he allegedly murdered a man in the Colony Ridge subdivision in Plum Grove, Texas.
ICE officials believe Perez-Miranda has been deported on six previous occasions.
ICE announced the arrest on X.
While Texas Department of Public Safety and ICE cleared an operation at Colony Ridge housing development near Houston, DPS got a call about a homicide in the city. Law enforcement identified an MS-13 gang member with a prior removal as the murder suspect. ICE Houston’s special…
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) February 25, 2025
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford praised the efforts of ICE personnel.
“Despite attempts by some to spread false information and rumors about the brave men and women who work for ICE, they continue to come in to work every day and put their own lives at risk to make our communities safer,” Bradford said in a statement announcing the arrest.
Chad Plantz, ICE Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Agent in Charge, emphasized the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies.
“The residents in Southeast Texas can rest easier knowing this dangerous transnational gang member has been removed from the community and is safely in custody,” Plantz said.
The arrest is part of a growing trend of arrests of people believed to be affiliated with violent gangs in the Houston area. Along with the Mara Salvatrucha gang (MS-13), there have also been arrests of several suspected Tren de Aragua members.