The man who ICE called an “MS-13 kingpin†after entered the country illegally in 2016 and admitted to being a gang member, court documents reveal.
Court documents reviewed by The World-Herald of Omaha say that 50-year-old Melvin Varela Perez also had at least one previous encounter with law enforcement in Nebraska: In 2023, Valera Perez pleaded guilty to driving without a license in Platte County.
 “They thought they could hide in America’s heartland, but they were sadly mistaken. Not on our watch," an investigator said.
Court documents say that Varela Perez had an expired Texas driver’s license at the time.
ICE did not directly identify Valera Perez, saying that the arrest was part of an ongoing investigation.
But his full name appeared in a , and in an . The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office also used Valera Perez’s name in an email to the media on Friday about that set in motion the arrest.
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In this screenshot from a video provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal agents arrest an “MS-13 kingpin†in Council Bluffs on Wednesday.
Valera Perez was taken into ICE custody Wednesday in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in an arrest celebrated by .
Federal authorities say that Varela Perez is one of the 100 most-wanted fugitives in El Salvador and that he’s wanted in that country on charges of aggravated homicide of five victims, attempted aggravated homicide, deprivation of liberty and terrorist organization affiliation.
Federal court documents reviewed by The World-Herald say that Valera Perez admitted to being an MS-13 gang member to a U.S. Border Patrol agent on Sept. 22, 2016, at the Sarita, Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Checkpoint, after entering the country illegally a few days earlier through the Mexican border.
He pleaded guilty to entering the U.S. illegally and was turned over to the U.S Marshals.
A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office traffic stop on July 6 of Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, 30, a known associate of Valera Perez, led to their arrests.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Friday that Deputy Matthew Baber, along with his police dog, Jing, stopped Escobar Ochoa driving eastbound in a blue pickup truck near the 42nd Street exit on I-80 in Omaha.
Spencer Head, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, said the blue pickup was merging without using a turn signal.
The Sheriff’s Office said Baber “felt something wasn’t quite right†during the traffic stop.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy pulled over Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa on I-80 near the 42nd Street exit.
Head said Baber’s feeling stemmed from Escobar Ochoa giving the deputy answers that “just didn’t seem to add up.â€
Head declined to go into specifics, saying the information was “law enforcement sensitive.†He said Escobar Ochoa presented a Texas driver’s license to Baber.
The Sheriff’s Office said Baber ran Escobar Ochoa’s information through a federal database. The results showed that Escobar Ochoa was on an MS-13 watchlist.
Head said local and state law enforcement, including the Sheriff’s Office, don’t have the legal authority to arrest someone on a federal watchlist.
Additionally, since Escobar Ochoa was pulled over for a minor traffic violation, the deputy didn’t have the legal authority to arrest him.
Baber released Escobar Ochoa and relayed the information to the Nebraska Information Analysis Center, run by the State Patrol and federal law enforcement officials.
Cody Thomas, a Nebraska State Patrol spokesperson, said the Nebraska Information Analysis Center developed information regarding “a known criminal illegal alien†in Omaha and shared it with Homeland Security.
In an interview, 13 women discussed their experiences during and after a Nebraska immigration raid. Several claimed they were harassed and told they had no rights. ICE says it followed detention standards.Â
“The NIAC Fusion Center is connected with law enforcement entities worldwide and works to quickly disseminate crucial information to keep communities safe in Nebraska and beyond,†he said.
That ultimately led to ICE agents arresting Escobar Ochoa in North Omaha and Varela Perez in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Wednesday.
Escobar Ochoa is wanted in El Salvador for allegedly giving orders to fellow gang members to commit a variety of crimes, including multiple homicides, extortion, imprisonment and drug trafficking.
An ICE press release said U.S. Border Patrol first encountered him in 2023, and he was allowed to remain in the country.
As of July 12, Escobar Ochoa was being held at the Dakota County Jail, just south of South Sioux City, Nebraska.
Varela Perez is being held at the Hardin County Correctional Center in Iowa, about 80 miles north of Des Moines.
ICE said both men are in the country illegally and are coordinating with El Salvadoran authorities to deport them.
