José Wilfredo Ayala Alcántara, alias "El Indio de Hollywood," was arrested on Tuesday in Mexico City. He is the second in command of the Mara Salvatrucha, aka MS-13, the most high-profile criminal organization in El Salvador.
According to Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico City's Secretary of Citizen Security, the operation to arrest the criminal was carried out in coordination with the National Intelligence Center and the Migration Institute. José Wilfredo Ayala Alcántara was carrying forged identity documents at the time of his arrest. Mexican authorities did not specify how long Ayala had been in Mexico.
According to local press, the arrest of the Salvadoran gang leader was made thanks to a citizen's tip off. The authorities acted on this lead which led to the arrest of the detainee.
José Wilfredo Ayala Alcántara has been subpoenaed by the United States Justice. In September 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a warrant for Ayala's arrest. The charges against him are "conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; narcoterrorist conspiracy and racketeering conspiracy." According to Mexico's Secretary of Citizen Security, another warrant issued from Houston, Texas, charges him with "homicide, robbery and carrying a weapon."
According to local media, following his arrest Ayala was handed over to the National Immigration Institute for deportation to the United States. Upon his arrival, he would thus become the fifth Salvadoran gang leader that the FBI has managed to apprehend in 2023. The Justice Department is looking to catch a further eight other gang leaders.
The Mara Salvatrucha and the Salvadoran gang movement is under heavy assault from US governments. In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency more than a year ago to declare war on gang members. Since then, violent crime rates have decreased significantly in the country.
This war against crime has become the main attraction of Bukele, who is swiftly gaining popularity in the South American continent. According to polls, Bukele would have become the highest rated American president. Among its star measures to confront the gang threat is the construction of gigantic prisons to house members of criminal groups.
