The East Coast leader of MS-13 was arrested on March 27 in Virginia in a joint federal and state operation involving more than a dozen law enforcement agencies.
A senior leader of the violent transnational gang MS-13 was arrested on March 27 during a coordinated law enforcement operation in Dale City, Virginia, top officials announced in a press conference.
Authorities described the suspect as one of the top three MS-13 operatives in the United States and the gang’s East Coast leader. He is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and is currently in custody, Attorney General Pam Bondi said during a press conference held later in the morning.
“This morning, early this morning, one of the top leaders of MS-13 was apprehended,” Bondi said. “He was the leader for the East Coast, one of the top three in the entire country, right here in Virginia, living half an hour outside of Washington, D.C. He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer.”
MS-13, or La Mara Salvatrucha, is a transnational criminal gang with its membership base largely composed of individuals from El Salvador or their descendants. The gang, which has ties to the Mexican Mafia, is known for violent crimes and operates in more than 40 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
President Donald Trump wrote a post on social media congratulating Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, border czar Tom Homan, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and called the operation “a big deal.”
During the press conference, Patel said: “We have a woman or child being raped every six and a half minutes in this country. We have a homicide twice an hour. No part of that metric is a safe and secure America, but thanks to the brave leadership of this administration and the folks that you see here, we are returning our communities to safety.
“This is what happens when you let good cops be cops. And we’re going to continue to let good cops be cops across this country.”
According to officials, the arrest was carried out by a task force created earlier this month under the Trump administration’s directive to target violent transnational gangs. The multi-agency team includes federal, state, and local personnel.
By Chase Smith
