• Rhode Island State Rep. Enrique Sanchez faces backlash for condemning ICE after the arrest of a self-admitted MS-13 member charged with fentanyl trafficking. Federal agents were forced to apprehend the suspect in public after state officials declined to honor a prior immigration detainer.

PROVIDENCE, RI (TDR) — A Rhode Island lawmaker is facing fierce criticism after publicly condemning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for arresting a self-admitted MS-13 gang member on fentanyl trafficking charges. The arrest, which unfolded in broad daylight on Alverson Avenue in Providence, has ignited a firestorm of public scrutiny — not for the agents who apprehended a known criminal, but for the elected official who defended him.

On Sunday, ICE agents arrested 27-year-old Ivan Rene Mendoza Meza, a Honduran national with three prior fentanyl trafficking charges in Rhode Island dating back to 2023. Mendoza, a self-identified member of the transnational MS-13 gang, attempted to flee the scene by ramming ICE vehicles and barricading himself inside his apartment before surrendering.

Lawmaker Condemns Arrest, Despite Evidence

Rather than commend the removal of a dangerous gang-affiliated drug trafficker, State Rep. Enrique Sanchez responded with invective. In a social media post, he labeled ICE agents as “Nazi Gestapo ICE thugs” and the operation itself as an “act of terror.”

“They think they are above the law. I strongly condemn this act of terror,” Sanchez wrote, despite later admitting he was unaware of the suspect’s criminal background.

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Even after learning of Mendoza’s gang ties and drug trafficking history, Sanchez refused to walk back his statement, telling local media he was waiting for documentation and would “accept [his] mistake” only if the claims were proven.

ICE Responds After State Noncompliance

ICE had issued an immigration detainer for Mendoza following his August 2023 fentanyl charges. However, the 6th District Court of Rhode Island declined to honor the detainer, instead releasing Mendoza on $50,000 bail — a decision that forced federal agents to locate and arrest him outside the controlled setting of a jail.

“This is precisely why detainer requests exist — to prevent violent offenders from being released back into communities,” an ICE spokesperson told Fox News.

A Pattern of Controversy

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The incident has also revived questions about Sanchez’s own conduct. In February, the state representative was arrested for DUI after being found stopped at a green light, allegedly smelling of alcohol. Though facing calls for resignation, Sanchez has refused to step down.

His recent statements now fuel broader concerns about partisan resistance to immigration enforcement, even when it involves dangerous repeat offenders with ties to international gangs.

As Rhode Island’s political class wrestles with its obligations to public safety and rule of law, one must ask: Should elected officials prioritize ideological loyalty over citizen security — or uphold their duty to protect the public from known threats?

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