Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Dallas have arrested Maria Julia Varela, a 36-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, on June 30 for her alleged involvement in organizing an assassination attempt back in her home country.
Varela, who law enforcement officials reported has direct ties to the violent MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs, had been on the run from Salvadoran law enforcement before finding her way into the United States.
She was first apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2016 as part of a family or domestic investigation. She was issued a “notice to appear,” a process some critics argue became a loophole that previously allowed dangerous illegal aliens to enter and remain in America.
“This criminal alien fled El Salvador hoping to evade law enforcement and accountability for an attempt of conspiring to take some one’s life,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Travis Pickard.
The arrest was part of HSI Dallas’s ongoing National Gang surge operation, a collaborative effort involving the FBI, U.S. Marshals, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the IRS, to crack down on the growing imposition of foreign gangs across America.
Officials from ICE also took the time to note that this operation aligns with the Trump administration’s 2025 executive order aimed at defending the American public from more criminal infiltration, violent gangs, and illegal immigration overall.
Varela now awaits removal from the United States and will remain in ICE custody until she is returned to El Salvador to face justice.
As of the time of publication, further details about her attempt to organize an assassination back in El Salvador have not been released to the public.
An active investigation is still underway.
“HSI Dallas remains steadfast in ensuring that communities in North Texas are not a refuge for international fugitives. We are dedicated to pursuing those accused of crimes that endanger public safety,” Pickard added.
El Salvador has recently joined America’s global entry program, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Still, ICE and border officials continue to report problems with illegal aliens from the country.
Last month, another illegal alien from El Salvador, with a history of violence in two other countries, fatally shot a Harris County deputy and currently faces the death penalty.
In March, President Donald Trump thanked El Salvador for accepting hundreds of suspected criminals who were deported from the U.S., citing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify the move as part of his crackdown on the violent Tren de Aragua gang.