A two-day targeted operation in Dallas on March 18 and 19 resulted in the arrest of a Venezuelan gang member, a Salvadoran MS-13 member with assault convictions, and a Venezuelan national tied to a vehicle theft ring — all previously released into the country under prior administrations.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a targeted multi-day operation in Dallas, Texas on March 18 and 19, resulting in three high-impact arrests — a Tren de Aragua gang member, an MS-13 gang member, and a criminal illegal alien connected to a vehicle theft ring.
“This targeted multi-day operation resulted in high impact arrests of a Tren de Aragua gang member, an MS-13 gang member, and an illegal alien involved in a vehicle theft ring in Dallas, Texas,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “Under President Trump, ICE has arrested more than 7,800 gang members. ICE is delivering day-in and day-out on the American people’s mandate to make America safe again.”
The Three Arrests
Jhonny Colmenares-Sepulveda, a Venezuelan national, is a confirmed member of Tren de Aragua — the Venezuelan criminal organization that has expanded its operations into the United States in recent years. Colmenares-Sepulveda entered the United States in August 2023 at Brownsville, Texas and was released into the country under Biden administration policies rather than detained.
Fernando Avilez-Romero, a Salvadoran national, is a self-admitted MS-13 gang member who entered the United States illegally in 2013 and was released under the Obama administration. He was subsequently granted a green card. His criminal history includes two convictions for assault causing bodily injury and a controlled dangerous substance conviction. Those felony convictions made him eligible for removal proceedings, which ICE has now initiated.
Fabian Rodriguez-Ortiz, a Venezuelan national, is an associate of a vehicle theft ring operating in the Dallas area. He entered the United States illegally in 2023 and was released under the Biden administration. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him in November 2025.
A Pattern DHS Says Must End
All three individuals arrested in the Dallas operation were previously released into American communities under prior administration policies rather than detained — two under the Biden administration in 2023 and one under the Obama administration in 2013. DHS has repeatedly cited the release of individuals who later commit crimes or maintain gang affiliations as evidence of the consequences of catch-and-release immigration enforcement.
Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela’s Tocorón prison complex and has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. MS-13 carries the same designation. Both groups have been linked to violent crimes across multiple American cities, with a documented presence in Texas including the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
Since President Trump took office, DHS reports that ICE has arrested more than 7,800 criminal illegal alien gang members from American communities.
For more information on ICE enforcement operations, visit ice.gov. To report criminal activity by illegal aliens, contact the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423. Victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens can reach the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office at 1-855-488-6423.
