Federal agents detained a man in Metairie this week who federal authorities say was a member of the transnational gang MS-13 in Honduras before coming to the United States. Homeland Security Investigations took into custody Edgar Vixney Hernandez-Velasquez, who officials say has a final order of removal and is slated for deportation to Honduras. Authorities say he entered the United States without authorization in 2017.
In a Department of Homeland Security press release, reported by NOLA, federal officials said HSI detained Hernandez-Velasquez in Metairie and identified him as a "known MS-13 gang member" in Honduras prior to his arrival in the United States. The release states that he entered the country in 2017 and that federal and state court records do not show a criminal record for Hernandez-Velasquez in New Orleans or Jefferson Parish since his arrival. According to the Department of Homeland Security, he is set to be removed to Honduras.
What a final order of removal means
A final order of removal authorizes the government to move forward with deportation proceedings and generally starts a statutory removal period during which the Department of Homeland Security arranges travel and detention as needed. Federal law outlines how long that removal period lasts and the rules for detention and supervision after an order becomes final. Those details are laid out in 8 U.S.C. § 1231, the statute that governs detention and removal of people who have been ordered removed.
About MS-13
MS-13 grew out of Salvadoran immigrant communities in Los Angeles in the 1980s and later expanded across Central America. Law enforcement describes the network as a violent, transnational criminal organization made up of locally operating cliques. Those transnational ties are a primary reason federal agencies prioritize MS-13 in investigative operations. As detailed by InSight Crime, the gang’s structure and reach complicate both enforcement and deportation strategies.
Enforcement in Jefferson Parish
Federal authorities have worked with Jefferson Parish and other local agencies in past operations targeting suspected gang members in the New Orleans metro area. Local coverage of earlier HSI and ICE actions in Metairie shows federal agents regularly coordinating with parish law enforcement on custody and removal matters, underscoring ongoing federal involvement in regional gang enforcement efforts. For example, a Metairie operation described in 2025 coverage prompted a multiagency response after HSI and ICE arrests, as reported by WDSU.
Federal officials say Hernandez-Velasquez is scheduled for deportation to Honduras, though the DHS release did not provide a public timetable for his removal. The NOLA article linked above contains the DHS text and additional details from the release.
