A Houston immigration enforcement operation took a dramatic turn Monday when a suspected MS-13 gang member attempting to evade arrest became trapped on the sign of a local business.
Marlon Odir Gomez Hernandez, a 29-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after climbing onto the large street sign of a washateria where he had sought refuge. Officers with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office encountered Gomez during a targeted enforcement action, but he immediately fled on foot.
According to ICE, Gomez ran inside the laundromat, climbed through the ceiling panels to reach the roof, and then descended onto the business’s illuminated sign—where he became stranded and unable to move. Officers and local police worked together to secure the area and safely bring him down using a ladder before taking him into custody.
ICE said Gomez previously had been arrested in El Salvador on Jan. 26, 2022, along with six other suspected MS-13 gang members for aggravated extortion. His date of illegal entry into the United States remains unknown. Following his arrest in Houston, he was transported to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, where he remains detained pending immigration proceedings.
“Once again, an illegal alien put the local community in danger by recklessly fleeing from ICE officers who were simply enforcing immigration laws that have been on the books for decades,” said ERO Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. “Unfortunately, this has become a daily occurrence for our officers here in Houston thanks to the violent rhetoric being spewed by elected officials encouraging illegal aliens to resist enforcement of the same laws they established.”
No injuries were reported during the incident, though nearby businesses temporarily closed while officers cleared the area. ICE said the episode underscores both the dangers officers face and the public safety concerns posed by criminal aliens who attempt to flee law enforcement.
The agency said Gomez’s arrest is part of an ongoing effort to identify and remove illegal aliens with gang affiliations and criminal histories who endanger local communities.
