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The U.S. Marshals Service arrested a high-ranking MS-13 gang member in Winston-Salem Wednesday who is suspected to be a member of a street gang involved in a violent assault and kidnapping of a 15-year-old in New York.
Josue Zepeda-Padilla, who was charged with assault, kidnapping and gang assault by the Suffolk County, New York, district attorney's office in January 2024, was apprehended at about 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday in the 3000 block of Gilmer Avenue with the assistance of Winston-Salem police officers.
According to a news release from the U.S. Marshals, Padilla is an illegal immigrant who has eluded law enforcement officials for over a year and had been traveling through various cities in North Carolina.
Padilla is believed to have been among a seven-member MS-13 group that allegedly robbed, kidnapped, assaulted and left a 15-year-old unconscious in an abandoned New York building in January 2024.
“This arrest is a critical victory in our ongoing effort to bring violent fugitives to justice,†said Vincent F. DeMarco, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of New York. “The United States Marshals Service is committed to relentlessly pursuing violent criminals who pose a threat to our communities, especially those who enter the United States illegally and ensuring they face the consequences of their actions.â€
