Walter Ceron Linares
By: Mary Beth Almond | Shelby-Utica News | Published December 15, 2025
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A man who authorities suspect to be an MS-13 gang member was arrested in Shelby Township earlier this month.
An officer from the Shelby Township Police Department arrested Walter Ceron Linares during a traffic stop at around 12:13 p.m. Dec. 5 near Utica and Dequindre roads.
Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide said the driver presented officers with an identification card from El Salvador. A records check reportedly identified the driver, Linares, as a possible member of a terrorist organization and said that authorities should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
When contacted by Shelby Township police, the FBI reportedly confirmed that Linares was a suspected MS-13 gang member on the agency’s terrorist watch list.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, MS-13 is the common name for an international criminal gang also known as Mara Salvatrucha.
Linares was taken into custody without incident and turned over to agents from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Detroit Sector for federal processing. In a social media post, Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris said Linares would be processed for deportation.
Shelide said the top priority of the Shelby Township Police Department is keeping Shelby Township safe.
“We work every day to identify and stop individuals involved in violent crime, organized criminal activity, or any threat of terrorism before it reaches our community. Through proactive policing, strong partnerships with state and federal agencies, and constant vigilance, we remain committed to ensuring that those who intend to harm others will find no place to operate in Shelby Township,” he said in a statement.
No further details about Linares’ case were released at press time.