A known MS-13 gang member with a history of fentanyl trafficking was arrested Sunday morning in Providence, and instead of praise for the capture, a Rhode Island state lawmaker unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against federal agents.
Federal immigration authorities arrested 27-year-old Ivan Rene Mendoza Meza, a Honduran national, on Alverson Street. Mendoza, who has admitted to being a member of the notoriously violent MS-13 gang, was previously arrested on three fentanyl trafficking charges in Rhode Island in 2023. Despite the serious charges, and a detainer request from federal officials, Mendoza was released back into the community after posting a $50,000 bond.
Rhode Island’s 6th District Court declined to honor the immigration detainer, citing state policy that requires a court order for such holds — effectively freeing a self-described gang member with a fentanyl rap sheet to walk the streets again.
That decision forced federal agents to track him down and arrest him at large in a residential neighborhood.
But rather than concern over the presence of a violent gang member in the community, Democratic State Rep. Enrique Sanchez took to social media to blast the agents who carried out the arrest — calling them “Nazi Gestapo ICE thugs” and accusing them of “terrorism.”
“They kidnapped another of our neighbor in Providence this morning. This time on Alverson St,” Sanchez wrote. “They damaged a couple cars that belonged to residents as well… I am tired of this shit.”
Sanchez made no mention of Mendoza’s gang ties, criminal history, or fentanyl trafficking charges — focusing instead on criticizing law enforcement.
The arrest and political response have once again exposed the deep rift in Rhode Island over immigration enforcement, as a dangerous gang member slipped through the cracks of the state’s legal system and a sitting lawmaker responded with vitriol toward those trying to bring him in.
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