Erick Martinez Mondragon/Mexico/Robbery

On April 24, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of Erick Martinez Mondragon, a 25-year-old Mexican national and confirmed member of the 18th Street gang. Mondragon was taken into custody during a targeted enforcement operation led by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Los Angeles field office. He had previously entered the United States unlawfully and was not encountered by immigration authorities at the time of entry.

Mondragon had a criminal history including felony convictions for robbery and possession of a firearm. According to arrest records, he was involved in an armed robbery in Los Angeles County in 2021, during which he brandished a weapon while stealing valuables from a victim at gunpoint. He was convicted and sentenced to state prison, where gang affiliation was later confirmed by corrections intelligence. Upon completing his sentence, ICE officers filed a detainer and took him into custody upon release.

Investigators determined that Mondragon had significant ties to the 18th Street gang, one of the most violent transnational criminal organizations operating within the U.S. He is currently being held at an ICE detention center pending removal proceedings. A final order of removal was issued against him in 2023, which has now been reinstated.