Man arrested in Elgin is Tren de Aragua member, DHS claims

The Department of Homeland Security says the man they detained in Elgin Saturday is a suspected member of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang.

Immigration agents detained Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez after an hourslong standoff, DHS said in a statement Monday. Agents deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades on protesters who showed up during the arrest, the Chicago Sun-Times reported then.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to arrest Acosta Gutierrez during a traffic stop, according to the DHS statement. He allegedly resisted arrest and ran to an apartment building in the 1600 block of Maple Lane, DHS said. Acosta Gutierrez allegedly did not know the residents in the apartment.

He came out onto the balcony of a second-floor apartment where agents tried negotiating with him to leave, according to DHS. Meanwhile, protesters showed up, and DHS alleges they threw rocks and bottles at the agents. In response, agents deployed several rounds of tear gas and at least three flash bang grenades. Elgin Mayor David Kaptain said the agents’ response to protesters discouraged and disgusted him.

ICE agents arrested Acosta Gutierrez after “several hours of negotiating,” according to DHS.

The agency did not offer any proof that Acosta Gutierrez is a suspected Tren de Aragua member. He allegedly entered the country in April 2023 and was granted temporary protected status, according to DHS.

A representative of Acosta Gutierrez could not immediately be reached.

In August 2023, Acosta Gutierrez received a traffic violation for driving without a license, according to McHenry County court records. He paid a $330 fine later that year, and the matter was closed in April 2024, records show.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “This suspected TdA gang member was not only released into our country by the Biden administration but also granted Temporary Protected Status. This yet again underscores the serious lack of vetting by Biden administration on the millions of aliens they allowed to come into the country.”