MS-13 Gang Member Arrested in Val Verde County Traffic Stop During Operation Lone Star

Val Verde County, TX – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced the arrest of an MS-13 gang member during a traffic stop on U.S. 277 as part of Operation Lone Star.

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025, just after 9:30 a.m., a DPS Trooper stopped a maroon Ford Taurus driven by Kieuncey Worth, 24, of Rockwall, Texas. A search revealed three illegal immigrants in the back seat, including Walter Alexander Zavala Amaya, identified as a member of the MS-13 terrorist organization.

Troopers had previously encountered Zavala Amaya on August 19 during a traffic stop, but he fled on foot, leaving behind an ID card issued by El Salvador. With assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol and the Threat Screening Center (TSC), authorities confirmed his gang affiliation.

Worth and his passenger, Coy Ford, 23, of Wichita Falls, Texas, were arrested and charged with smuggling of persons. Both were booked into the Val Verde County Jail. The three illegal immigrants were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.

Investigators determined that Zavala Amaya fled to Mexico after the August 19 incident and illegally re-entered Texas in another smuggling attempt.

Records show Zavala Amaya was first arrested and deported to El Salvador by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in May 2016. He later re-entered the United States and was arrested on July 11, 2025, by the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore Field Office. He was removed from the country on July 13, 2025, before his most recent illegal re-entry.