Capture of MS-13 Gang Member Known as “The Witch”

A fugitive MS-13 member, known as “The Witch,” was recently apprehended in San Diego by federal immigration agents. This individual, David Antonio Aviles Perez, 35, is wanted for a significant gang-related murder in his home country of El Salvador.

Authorities in El Salvador had issued an international warrant for Aviles Perez, who was arrested by ICE agents last Thursday. Interestingly, he had previously been arrested in California earlier this year, accused of threatening someone with a machete in an incident in Monterey.

Though he was in the U.S. illegally, he had been released under California’s sanctuary laws, which allowed him to evade capture until this recent arrest, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security.

Now, he is awaiting extradition back to El Salvador, where he has already been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a murder committed in 2014.

In that incident in July 2014, Aviles Perez, along with another gang member, murdered a man in Yucuayquin, a town in eastern El Salvador. Reports from Salvadoran authorities indicate that the victim was chased and shot multiple times during a confrontation.

It’s a bit unclear how Aviles Perez managed to enter the United States, but he only came to law enforcement’s attention in California years after the El Salvador killings.

In a separate incident on August 2, 2023, he allegedly brandished a machete at a homeless individual in Monterey, which led to his arrest. Following the altercation, he was found to have hidden the machete in a nearby parking lot.

Despite facing serious charges at the time, including assault with a deadly weapon, he was released back into the public. This development raised concerns among officials like DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Biss, who criticized how state laws can endanger public safety. She noted that such policies might allow dangerous individuals to operate freely.

California’s sanctuary laws, enacted in 2017, limit local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration agencies. These regulations prevent police from inquiring about immigration status or simply detaining individuals for ICE.

Critics of these laws, including U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, argue that they undermine law enforcement efforts and pose risks to public safety. In fact, the Department of Justice has initiated legal action against cities like Los Angeles over their sanctuary policies.