Houston area law enforcement have recently outlined the threat of MS13 violence, now there's word that arrests of the notorious gang members are up nearly 50 percent along the border.
Border Patrol agents so far have arrested 377 members of the transnational gang this fiscal year, the highest number since 2014, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In Houston, MS-13 has been tied to violent crimes and murders –sometimes on their own members.
“Ever since they were very young they've been programmed into joining these types of gangs and recruited into these types of gangs, and they just have no remorse for human life,” says Curtis Collier with U.S.Border Watch.
“Many of them come from countries whose own governments don't value life.”
Collier says no community is safe.
“Southern states all the way to the Northeast, mainly this opioid epidemic we're having, that is highly fueled by drug cartels and MS13 is up to their eyeballs in that as well,” he says.
Border agents also have arrested 126 members of Mexico's violent 18th Street gang – double the number from last year.
“Every single citizen in this country needs to be very concerned about it,and be in support of people who is doing something about it,” says Collier. “Right now, our government is doing something about it,simply because of whose in the Oval Office.”