Federal agents announced the March 30 arrest of an Ecuadorian national and Latin Kings gang member, Bryan David Tasiguano Leon, after sanctuary officials in the Big Apple once again chose the street release of gang royalty over public safety.
Tasiguano Leon entered the country illegally in November 2022 and was cut loose by the prior Biden administration. A judge ordered his removal on Feb. 27, 2025. On Feb. 14, NYPD officers arrested him for assault — this time on a first responder — following earlier busts for assault and family neglect.
🚨 NYC sanctuary policies RELEASE Latin Kings gang member from jail.
Bryan David Tasiguano Leon, a criminal illegal alien from Ecuador, was arrested by the NYPD on February 14 on suspicion of assault. Instead of being handed over to ICE, he was released from jail back onto…
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 29, 2026
ICE had lodged a detainer, yet city authorities ignored it and set him free, true to form.
“New York sanctuary politicians chose to release this Latin Kings gang member from jail back into New York City communities,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “This gang member was previously arrested for assault on a first responder and family neglect. Not only was this illegal alien released by the Biden administration, but he was also released again by New York’s sanctuary politicians. Enough is enough. Sanctuary politicians must stop releasing criminal illegal aliens back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes.”
🚨 GREAT NEWS: ICE has ARRESTED a violent illegal alien who attacked a first responder and was then RELEASED by Zohran Mamdani's NYC
Ecuadorian national Bryan Tasiguano, a Latin Kings member, had his ICE detainer IGNORED by NYC. He's now in custody
Good! Send him back! pic.twitter.com/LTU7aBCCJH
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 30, 2026
The episode underscores the predictable fallout from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s executive order doubling down on sanctuary protections, which restrict cooperation with ICE and shield even those with final deportation orders and violent records.
According to DHS, there are currently 7,113 aliens in custody across the state of New York with an active detainer. The crimes of these aliens include 148 homicides, 717 assaults, 134 burglaries, 106 robberies, 235 dangerous drugs offenses, 152 weapons offenses, and 260 sexual predatory offenses.
While Tasiguano Leon is now in ICE custody awaiting deportation, cases like his expose how “no kings” rhetoric conveniently makes exceptions for gang royalty when it suits progressive policy.
