U.S. immigration authorities have deported a Honduran man accused of leading a violent faction of the 18th Street gang back to his home country to face charges of armed robbery, kidnapping and murder.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday that Yimi Samario Sevilla Leon, 30, was removed to Honduras on Aug. 11. Officials allege Sevilla led “El Mango,” an ultra-violent crew accused of working with corrupt police to carry out a string of crimes and kill anyone who resisted.
“This individual and his fellow gang members allegedly conducted armed robberies, kidnappings and theft to generate criminal proceeds for the gang, and anyone who dared to oppose them were brutally murdered to set an example,” said Gabriel Martinez, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Houston.
Authorities in Honduras say Sevilla and 24 other members of El Mango are wanted in connection with the conspiracy.
Sevilla illegally entered the U.S. near Eagle Pass, Texas, in December 2023 and was arrested by Border Patrol before being released into the country the same day, ICE said. In February, ICE’s office in Tegucigalpa alerted agents in Houston that Sevilla was wanted in Honduras. He was arrested in March during a multiagency operation in East Houston.
An immigration judge ordered Sevilla’s removal in May. He was flown from Louisiana to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where he was turned over to Honduran authorities.
The operation was coordinated through ICE’s Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement program, which works with foreign law enforcement to track and deport fugitives wanted abroad.
Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.
