A notorious criminal on El Salvador’s list of most-wanted gang members has been taken into custody on United States soil, according to federal officials. 

Antonio Israel Lazo-Quintanilla was arrested in Maryland earlier this month after police caught him allegedly driving without a license, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a news release. 

While the arrest marks Lazo-Quintanilla’s first known run-in with the law in the United States, authorities learned he is wanted in his home country for numerous crimes, including aggravated homicide, extortion and possession of drugs, according to DHS. 

DHS ARRESTS FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF SERIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING MURDER AND CHILD ABUSE

“Seventy percent of ICE arrests are of criminal illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the United States,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “This gang member on El Salvador’s most wanted list is a perfect example of ICE targeting the worst of the worst.

“He may lack a violent rap sheet in the U.S., but this criminal illegal alien is clearly a public safety threat.

CALIFORNIA ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH 49 PRIOR ARRESTS TOPS ICE’S LATEST ‘WORST-OF-THE-WORST’ LIST 

“The media’s false claims that ICE is not arresting the worst of the worst simply has no grounding,” McLaughlin added. “In reality, ICE is arresting criminal illegal aliens before they can victimize Americans.”

Lazo-Quintanilla, whose mugshot shows a large “666” tattoo across his forehead, is also “a confirmed member of the 18th Street Gang” in El Salvador, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) by the Trump administration, according to DHS. 

ICE RAMPS UP ARRESTS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS AS RIOTS RAGE IN BLUE CITY: ‘YOU WILL NOT STOP US’

Details about when Lazo-Quintanilla entered the country were not immediately available.

The 18th Street Gang is “one of the largest gangs in our hemisphere and has conducted attacks against security personnel, public officials, and civilians in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras,” according to a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

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DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

By Aaron Parseghian, WBZ-TV

Nearly 200 people from more than 50 countries became America’s newest citizens Tuesday, raising their right hands and reciting the oath of allegiance during an emotional naturalization ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

“By your hard work, patience, and commitment to this long process, you have all earned the right to be citizens of the United States of America,” said U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs, who presided over the naturalization ceremony. “I think that John F. Kennedy, if he could see us now, would love knowing that his library is one of the places where people become citizens.”

Boston naturalization ceremony

For some, the day marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Gaison Brumaire, who came to the U.S. from Haiti in 2016, said the ceremony opened the door to new possibilities.

“I’m just excited. I mean, there’s a lot of opportunity. Like, you know, we can vote now,” Brumaire said.

“I’ve long been hearing about America. America has been a great country, so it’s everybody’s dream. And I’m happy to be a part of it,” added Beatrice Gray, a new U.S. citizen from Liberia. “I’ve long been wanting this forever, and I decided to just abide by the rules and laws of this country and being in America, being so great. I mean, I’m so happy.”

Others described a mix of joy and relief. João Oliveira moved from Brazil to Milford as a teenager and spent nearly a decade waiting for this moment.

“Having all the responsibilities and rights that only you can get when you are a citizen, it’s awesome. It’s a thing that I always wanted to have,” Oliveira said.

“I feel so proud to be an American citizen”  

Despite living in the country legally, he said recent national debates and crackdowns on immigration left him feeling uneasy.

“You know we see a lot of political talk about immigration and everything and laws changing every time. You never feel safe,” Olivera said. “Someone could sign a law that makes you not part of this country anymore. So you always feel anxious about it. And being a citizen says, like, nobody can take this right away from me anymore.”

For Tibet native Yeshi Nyizing, becoming an American was the culmination of hard work and sacrifice.

“I work day and night and I pay a lot of taxes and then I made it,” she said. “I feel so proud to be an American citizen. I love America.”