A judge has ordered the release of a man whom federal authorities identify as an MS-13 gang member following his recent arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Officials said the individual, identified as Carlos Antonio Flores-Miguel, is a Salvadoran national who had been in ICE custody after his arrest earlier this year in Minnesota.
According to federal authorities, ICE officers conducted a targeted operation Jan. 20 to take Flores-Miguel into custody. During the arrest, officials said he resisted and allegedly struck officers while attempting to avoid detention.
Federal officials said Flores-Miguel has prior charges in the United States involving rape, resisting an officer and illegal reentry. Authorities also said he had previously been arrested in El Salvador on a robbery charge.
Earlier this month, a judge ordered Flores-Miguel released from ICE custody, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Federal officials did not provide additional details regarding the court’s reasoning in the decision.
According to federal officials, Flores-Miguel first entered the United States illegally in September 2016 and was removed the following month. Officials said he reentered the country illegally and was removed again in March 2017.
Authorities said Flores-Miguel entered the United States a third time in October 2021 and was later released in June 2022. Federal officials said he was subsequently issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge, who determined he could be removed to a country other than El Salvador.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis of the Department of Homeland Security said the agency continues to enforce immigration laws and pursue the removal of individuals who have been ordered removed.
“If an immigration judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them,” Bis said in a statement.
ICE officials said the case remains ongoing following his release from custody.
