NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – Homeland Security agents working with state and local authorities arrested Aderbis Pirela last week in New Braunfels, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio. He is the second-in-command of a violent Colombian street gang, Los Santanás, the Post Millennial reported.
Following his arrest, Pirela, 29, was handed over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was on INTERPOL’s top 10 most wanted list and has warrants out for his arrest in Colombia in connection with at least four murders, as well as extortion and narcotics trafficking.
Pirela was allowed into the U.S. on Jan. 2 and claimed political asylum on Jan. 7 before being released into the interior of the country. However, on January 27 authorities were made aware of his actions in Columbia and began looking for him.
The alleged killer fled Colombia last year before making his way through Central America up to the US-Mexico border. Once Pirela was granted permission to enter the US, he and other gang members began conducting illicit business out of a migrant shelter, according to NBC15.
Bogotá police and the city’s mayor are hoping Columbia’s national law enforcement will ensure Pirela finds his way to prison and is disabled in his ability to carry out criminal activity from behind bars, Fox News reported.
During an interview with The National Desk regarding Pirela’s case, former head of customs and border protection Mark Morgan said, “This just goes to the heart of one of the main issues. The reality is every time Secretary Mayorkas or anybody from this administration tells the American people that we properly vet everyone before we release them is just a lie.”
An alleged Colombian drug lord got arrested this week in Texas. According to reports, Aderbis Pirela is wanted in Bogotá, Colombia, in connection to multiple murders, extortion and drug trafficking.
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 19, 2024
“They’re provided a false sense of security that doesn’t exist,” Morgan added. “The reality is there are many countries that illegal aliens are coming into our country from that we have zero diplomatic relationships with and we’re getting nothing with respect to their criminal history.”
He continued by saying, “This is happening every single day because this administration reenacted and reinstituted catch and release.”
