By George P. Hassett

Federal immigration authorities raided a Medford Street auto body shop today, Aug. 28, and arrested one alleged MS-13 gang member while checking the immigration status of the shop’s other employees.

Tony Fragione, owner of A Plus Auto Body at 297 Medford St., said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents told him it was not an immigration raid and they were there because of one employee. Fragione said he was told they were after Henry  Antonio Morales who is allegedly affiliated with MS-13 and wanted by federal authorities.
Federal agents checked the documentation status of all other A Plus employees. The agents did not specify what crime Morales was wanted for, according to Fragione.
“They were not very talkative,” Fragione said of the authorities who raided his business.
He said ICE agents, Somerville police officers and the Middlesex County Sheriff’s office were at his shop for the search.
An ICE spokesman and Middlesex County Sheriff James V. DiPaola each confirmed there is an ongoing, collaborative investigation in the Boston area targeting individuals deemed to be public safety threats. Neither woul comment further, but DiPaola said he would release more details once the investigation is concluded. 
Morales was reportedly cuffed while all other A Plus employees were lined up and asked about their immigration status. Fragione said his business requires all employees to have valid social security numbers and they never pay cash to workers.
“We never use any illegal labor,” he said.
Morales was the only employee taken away by authorities. Fragione said he was a “stellar” worker.
“I would have hired ten of him, he was qualified and he was respectful,” he said.
Fragione said he spoke with Morales before Morales was taken away by police, and the alleged MS-13 member was as courteous as ever. Morales showed no signs of being involved with a gang, he said.
“He had tears in his eyes, and he asked me if he had made trouble for us here at the shop. He apologized for any problems he caused. He was respectful right up until the end,” said Fragione.
Fragione said agents told him Morales had lost a lot of weight while evading authorities and they had to identify him by a large MS-13 insignia tattooed across his chest.
MS-13 is a gang made up mainly of Salvadoran immigrants and was originated in Los Angeles in the 1970s. In recent years, it has spread across the country to big cities and small towns. The Federal Bureau of Investigations deemed the gang a serious threat in 2005 and began initiating large-scale raids against suspected members.
MS-13 members were identified as operating in Somerville as far back as 1997, according to police. In October 2002, two deaf girls, one of whom had cerebral palsy and was confined to a wheelchair, were raped by three MS-13 members in Foss Park, according to police. Two of the three men, Jose Ortiz, of Boston, and Jesus Pleitz, of Somerville, pled guilty to the crime, but Escobar was found not guilty by a jury and walked free after the verdict was announced. 
On July 13, six alleged MS-13 members were arrested in Somerville by ICE and are now facing deportation. Five of the men were arrested in the midst of a gang meeting being held outdoors in an industrial part of the city, according to police, and a sixth man was arrested walking down Broadway. Two of the men arrested held leadership positions within the gang, police said.
Fragione said he is proud that his business employs people of all nationalities, but the next time a prospective Salvadoran employee applies for a job he may pause.
‚ÄúIt is going to be tough,‚Äù he said. ‚ÄúI will have to scrutinize the next guy a little more because of this. It is too bad because I want to give everyone a chance, but I don‚Äôt need this shit.‚Äù