ICE and FBI Arrest MS-13 Gang Member Alejandro Perla Cruz in New York
Summary
ICE New York City Fugitive Operations officers and FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force agents arrested 37-year-old Salvadoran national Alejandro Perla Cruz, an MS-13 gang member, during a targeted vehicle stop in Middleton, New York on April 13, 2026. Perla is wanted in El Salvador for homicide and narcotics trafficking and entered the United States illegally without inspection. He remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
“MS-13 member Alejandro Perla Cruz fled his own country and entered the United States unlawfully to avoid being arrested for homicide and narcotics trafficking charges.”
What changed
ICE and FBI jointly arrested Alejandro Perla Cruz, a 37-year-old MS-13 gang member and Salvadoran national, during a targeted vehicle stop on April 13, 2026 in Middleton, New York. The arrest was coordinated based on intelligence from the FBI's Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force. Perla is wanted in El Salvador for homicide and narcotics trafficking and had entered the United States illegally without inspection. He is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.\n\nImmigration enforcement actions against criminal aliens with gang affiliations represent continued priority activity for ERO New York City. Organizations employing foreign nationals should ensure all employees are legally authorized to work in the United States, as ICE Fugitive Operations teams actively target individuals with criminal histories and outstanding removal orders.
Scheduled event
- Date
- 2026-04-13 at 06:00
- Location
- Middleton, NY
Archived snapshot
Apr 21, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Follow Us
@ERONewYork
April 21, 2026 New York, NY, United States Enforcement and Removal
ICE and FBI arrest criminal illegal alien and MS-13 gang member wanted in El Salvador for murder and drug trafficking
The international fugitive tried to hide in sanctuary New York in a futile attempt to evade justice NEW YORK — ICE New York City Fugitive Operations officers assigned to the Newburgh sub-office and special agents from the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force arrested criminal illegal alien and international fugitive Alejandro Perla Cruz during a targeted operation in Middleton April 13. The 37-year-old Salvadoran national is an MS-13 gang member wanted in his home country for homicide and narcotics trafficking.
“ICE New York City will not allow violent criminals to evade justice within the United States, and we will never waver in our mission and mandate to remove them from our country,” said Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo. “Protecting New Yorkers from criminal illegal aliens will always be a priority for this office. I am grateful to our officers and our FBI partners for their work in removing this gang member from our streets so he can be returned to his home country to face prosecution for his heinous crimes.”
Perla illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and location without inspection by an immigration official. Based on intelligence provided by the Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force on April 7, ICE New York City confirmed the individual was an illegal alien with serious criminal history and planned a targeted joint operation to remove this alleged murderer from the streets of New York.
On April 13, at approximately 6 a.m., ICE officers and FBI special agents conducted a vehicle stop, confirmed Perla’s identity, and effected the arrest without incident. The alien fugitive is in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
“MS-13 member Alejandro Perla Cruz fled his own country and entered the United States unlawfully to avoid being arrested for homicide and narcotics trafficking charges. The FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force worked with our federal immigration enforcement partners to arrest this violent foreigner and protect our communities against dangerous criminals living here illegally," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. "The United States is no longer a sanctuary for violent criminals, and the FBI will continue utilizing immigration authorities to safeguard our communities.”
If you have information about criminal alien activity in your community, call the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or complete the online tip form.
Learn more about ERO New York City’s public safety mission on X at @ERONewYork.
Updated:
04/21/2026
Mentioned entities
Parties
Related changes
Get daily alerts for ICE News Releases
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from ICE.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when ICE News Releases publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.