MS-13 Gang Members Allegedly Stab 3 Virginia State Prison Officers

Five of the prisoners accused in the attack are in the United States illegally.

Three corrections officers at the Wallens Ridge State Prison in Virginia were attacked by six inmates in an “apparently premeditated stabbing” incident, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) said in a May 2 statement shared on social media platform X.

“The attack occurred at approximately 09:45 a.m. on Friday, May 2. Five of the six inmates involved in the attack are confirmed MS-13 gang members from El Salvador, who were in this country illegally. Each have been convicted of violent crimes including aggravated murder, first and second degree murder, and rape,” said the statement.

“The other inmate involved in the attack is a confirmed member of the Sureno 13 gang and from the United States, serving a sentence for second degree murder.”

In total, five officers were shifted outside for medical treatment. Three have been discharged, including two who had suffered minor injuries while responding to the attack.

Two officers are still in the hospital and are in “stable condition,” VADOC said.

“Praying for the full recovery of the three Virginia correctional officers brutally stabbed today in a premeditated attack by MS-13 gang members, criminal illegal immigrants who should never have been in our country to begin with,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a May 3 post on social media platform X.

Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 is one of the largest Hispanic criminal street gangs operating in the United States, according to the Department of Justice. Members are known to engage in drug trafficking, assault, weapons trafficking, robbery, and homicide.

The group is estimated to have more than 10,000 members in the United States. In February, the Department of State designated MS-13 as a terrorist organization.

Sureno 13 is a transnational criminal street gang that originated in southern California and is known to engage in criminal activities such as human trafficking, murder, extortion, and narcotics trafficking, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Virginia attack is currently under investigation and VADOC refused to provide any more details on the incident until the probe is completed.

“Five of the individuals responsible for this senseless attack should never have been in this country in the first place,” said VADOC Director Chad Dotson.

“Every single day, our officers put their lives on the line to ensure public safety for the more than 8.8 million people across the Commonwealth. This attack is an example of the dangers they face when they show up to work every day. Our officers are heroes, and I commend the team at Wallens Ridge for their swift response,” he said.

The Epoch Times reached out to VADOC for additional comment.

By Naveen Athrappully

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