FBI Arrests MS-13 Suspect in Waterbury Wanted for El Salvador Murder

FBI Arrests MS-13 Fugitive in Waterbury on El Salvador Murder Warrant

The FBI arrested a suspected member of MS-13 in Waterbury on March 10, 2026, on an active El Salvadoran arrest warrant and an Interpol notice for aggravated homicide in connection with the killing of a pastor in El Salvador.

Danny Antonio Granados-Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was taken into custody without incident by agents from the FBI's New Haven field office. Following his arrest, Granados-Garcia was transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be processed for deportation to El Salvador, where he will face criminal charges. No U.S. federal charges were filed; the alleged crime occurred entirely in El Salvador.

FBI New Haven Special Agent in Charge P.J. O'Brien confirmed the arrest in a statement released on March 11. "MS-13 members are notorious for their brutality, violence, and intimidation," O'Brien said, adding that the FBI remains committed to pursuing gang members and securing justice for victims.

Victim and Charges

Granados-Garcia is wanted in El Salvador for the aggravated homicide of a pastor who was a relative of an El Salvadoran police officer. The case carries an active Salvadoran arrest warrant and an INTERPOL blue notice — a notice circulated internationally to gather information about a person's identity or location in connection with a criminal matter.

Granados-Garcia was identified by federal investigators as a suspected member of MS-13, which the U.S. government has designated a foreign terrorist organization. The designation subjects MS-13 members and those who provide material support to the organization to additional federal legal exposure under terrorism statutes.

MS-13 and Federal Enforcement

MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational criminal organization with origins in Central American immigrant communities in Los Angeles and deep operational roots in El Salvador and other Central American countries. The organization is known for its use of extreme violence and has been a sustained target of FBI, ICE, and international law enforcement efforts.

The U.S. government's designation of MS-13 as a foreign terrorist organization, formalized in early 2025, significantly expanded federal law enforcement authority to pursue suspected members. FBI field offices, including the New Haven office, have investigated MS-13 activity across Connecticut in recent years.

Granados-Garcia's presence in Waterbury and the circumstances under which federal investigators located him there were not publicly detailed by the FBI. The arrest was carried out by FBI agents; local Waterbury police were not cited in the public statements released in connection with the operation.

Deportation Process

Because the criminal charges against Granados-Garcia are under El Salvadoran jurisdiction, the U.S. government's role after arrest is to facilitate his removal through the ICE deportation process rather than pursue domestic prosecution.

ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division handles the logistics of deporting foreign nationals who are subject to removal under U.S. immigration law. In cases involving criminal warrants from foreign governments, ICE coordinates with receiving country authorities to ensure the individual faces pending charges upon return.

No timeline for Granados-Garcia's deportation was publicly released by ICE or the FBI. The case was announced publicly on March 11, one day after the arrest.

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