(DCNF)—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.”
Youngkin, who was involved in the task force behind the major bust, stressed the importance of state and federal law enforcement partners working together to dismantle organized crime. He specifically encouraged other leaders to adopt 287(g) agreements, which deputize local police with immigration authorities, streamlining the arrest and deportation of criminal illegal migrants.
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“Listen, it’s time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state,” Youngkin said. “We are working to get the bad guys out of here, and if you are a local jurisdiction and not helping us and not cooperating with us, you are working against the safety of all of those men and women that call your jurisdiction home.”
Officials confirmed that the Thursday arrest took place in Dale City, Virginia, roughly a one-hour drive south from Washington, D.C. They also noted that law enforcement actions have dramatically ticked up since Trump returned to the White House — arrests in Virginia have increased 468% in the last four weeks compared to the same period last year, according to Bondi.
In less than a month, law enforcement officials in Virginia have arrested 342 individuals, many of them being illegal migrants, U.S. Attorney of Virginia’s Eastern District Erik Siebert said. Of those 342 arrested, 81 were identified as individuals with gang or transnational crime affiliation.
“MS -13 — they are organized, they are violent, they are committing homicides throughout our country,” Bondi said. “They are one of the most dangerous gangs in our country and we are going to fight until they are completely dismantled.”
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