Houston Police Department

January 29, 2007 -- Harold L. Hurtt, Chief of the Houston Police Department, Roderick L. Beverly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Houston office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Giovanni Gaudioso, Deputy Special Agent-in-Charge of the Houston office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announce the arrests of Mara Salvatrucha -13 (MS-13) fugitive Albin Adalin Zalaya-Zelaya, aka FLACO, 26, and five of his associates.

Zelaya was wanted in the State of Texas for burglary of a habitation with intent to commit aggravated assault and federally for illegal re-entry into the United States. Zelaya and his brother, Pablo Donaldo Sevilla Romero, 31, are also wanted by Honduran authorities in connection with the murders of Zelaya's ex mother-in-law and ex father-in-law, Eleazar and Suyapa Vasquez. The couple was beheaded in their home on December 25, 2006. According to Interpol, Zelaya is also wanted for questioning regarding the massacre of 37 people, which occurred in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in December of 2004.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, January 27, Zelaya and Romero were arrested along with Miguel Antonio Mejia Estrada, 21; Johnny Geraldo Perla Fernandez, 27; Marlin Santos Matute Turcios, aka Snoopy, 20; and Marcos Antonio Olivarez Calderon, aka Gordo, 24, by agents of the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), gang investigators and SWAT officers of the Houston Police Department. These individuals are charged with evading arrest and also face immigration charges. The operation was the result of an investigation by the Multi-Agency Violent Gang Crime Initiative (MAVGCI) formed in August of 2006 which was investigating a series of kidnappings and attempted kidnappings of illegal aliens in the Houston area.

The MAVGCI requests the public's assistance in identifying any additional criminal activities, which may have been committed by these individuals or others. Anyone with information about these individuals is asked to please contact the Houston office of the FBI at 713-693-5000 or Houston Police Department Gang Division at 713-308-0200.

For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200.