Lee County deputies arrested a man accused of crimes associated with the criminal gang MS-13 on Wednesday.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and the State Highway Patrol were called to a crash with injuries in the southern portion of Lee County on U.S. Highway 1.
When law enforcement arrived, they tried to talk with one of the drivers involved in the crash.
He allegedly gave five different variations of his name to authorities. After they were unable to track down any of the provided names, matching the date of birth provided, deputies arrested the man for further investigation.
Initially unable to verify his identity, deputies charged him under the alias “Juan Doe” with resisting, delaying and obstructing an officer and identity theft.
A fingerprint scan identified the man as 30-year-old Jonathon Josue Ayala Melendez of El Salvador.
LCSO contacted U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agents, who then contacted FBI agents, who confirmed that Ayala Melendez is wanted for kidnapping, drug trafficking, homicide and attempted homicide charges in El Salvador.
FBI agents said Ayala Melendez is a transnational member of MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha 13).
U.S. authorities had been searching for Ayala Melendez for some time, according to LCSO’s press release.
Ayala Melendez remains in the custody of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office without bond and has an immigration detainer, issued by the Department of Homeland Security.