Managua  - Nicaraguan authorities on Thursday deported Saul Antonio Turcios Angel, a Salvadoran citizen who is regarded as boss of the criminal gang MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha.

The Nicaraguan government said through state television that Turcios Angel - also known as "Pitbull" and "El Trece" - was taken to Sandino International Airport under tight security measures. Salvadoran police took custody at the airport to take him back to his native country.

Turcios Angel, 29, who is described by Interpol as "highly dangerous," was arrested last week in the north-western Nicaraguan town of Chichigalpa, after entering the country illegally. He had fled a Salvadoran jail in December.

MS-13 has a viscious reputation and is active in the United States in drug trafficking and other organized crime. (dpa)