‘One Of The Top Three’: Feds Nab MS-13 Kingpin Roughly One Hour Away From Nation’s Capital
A top MS-13 leader was arrested early Thursday morning just outside of Washington, D.C., in the northern Virginia area, law enforcement leaders announced shortly afterward. The individual, who law enforcement has yet to…
A top MS-13 leader was arrested early Thursday morning just outside of Washington, D.C., in the northern Virginia area, law enforcement leaders announced shortly afterward.
The individual, who law enforcement has yet to identify, was described as one of the top three leaders of MS-13 in the entire United States, according to a joint press conference given by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Virginia GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin and FBI Director Kash Patel. They hailed the arrest as a major victory in the Trump administration’s war against organized crime.
“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.,” Bondi said Thursday. “He is an illegal alien from El Salvador and he will not be living in our country much longer.”
“America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13 is off the streets,” Bondi continued, and gave credit to President Donald Trump for allowing law enforcement to better apprehend criminals across the country.
MS-13 in an international criminal syndicate tied to countless murders, rapes and other heinous crimes across the U.S. over the years. Although its origins began in Los Angeles, the gang is largely associated with Salvadoran nationals — and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has taken great strides in incarcerating many MS-13 gang members in his mega-prison.
MS-13 was among the gangs and cartels that President Donald Trump designated as foreign terrorist organizations, enabling federal officials to better take enforcement actions against them.
“This is what happens when you let good cops be cops, and we’re going to continue to be cops across this country,” Patel said Thursday. “And if you are here illegally, you will not be here any longer, and if you are going to continue to commit acts of violent crime, you will meet the same fate that this individual did this morning.”