HOUSTON - One of Texas’ most-wanted fugitives is expected to be extradited to Houston after he was arrested in Arlington, Virginia late last month.
Douglas Alexander Herrera-Hernandez, 20, an undocumented Salvadorian immigrant, had been on the run since police say he was involved in a Houston murder in July.
Police also say Herrera was the MS-13 hitman behind the murder of Estuai Quinones,16, who was shot 27 times at Buffalo Run Park in Missouri City on June 13, 2016.
Quinones was a valuable informant to Houston Police and was giving leads on a number of murders involving members of MS-13 and the Southside Cholos.
The two gangs have been fighting in a bloody turf war and at least six gang members had been killed.
MS-13 leaders learned Quinones was giving information to authorities, HPD Chief Art Acevedo said. Then the order to have Quinones killed was sent out from behind the walls of the Harris County jail.
"We have to send a message when you take a life that brutally, especially that of a witness,” said Chief Acevedo. “You’ve really forfeited your right to remain on this planet earth.”
There are more than 20,000 documented gang members in Houston, according to Chief Acevedo, but only around 300 of them are MS-13 gang members.
Officials say the tentacles of MS-13 crosses county, state and international boundaries.
“The way they murder, machetes, shooting them dozens of times. It’s purposeful and that’s to instill fear in the community,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. "MS leaders giving the green lights for hits from El Salvador, well they can expect for us to return it in kind."