Top MS-13 leader arrested in Virginia during major Trump-backed operation

WASHINGTON, DC: US authorities arrested a high-ranking MS-13 gang leader in Virginia on Thursday morning, marking a significant victory in a nationwide crackdown on violent criminal networks. Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, a 24-year-old illegal migrant, was taken into custody on weapons charges during a raid in Prince William County, located about 23 miles outside Washington, DC, the New York Post reported.

Law enforcement officials described Villatoro as one of the top leaders responsible for orchestrating MS-13’s violent crimes along the East Coast.

The arrest was part of a major operation spearheaded by a new FBI-led task force, which has already resulted in the detention of 340 illegal migrant criminals this month. The task force, launched on March 3, involves collaboration between the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Virginia State Police, and the Prince William County Police Department. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the success of the initiative, emphasising its impact in restoring law and order.

“This is what happens when you let good cops be cops,” Patel said at a press conference. He also credited the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin for their coordinated efforts. “The arrest of an MS-13 leader this morning is a critical victory for law enforcement and a strong message to violent gangs: your days of terrorising our communities are numbered,” he told the New York Post.

Authorities located Villatoro after conducting surveillance on his mother’s home in Woodbridge.

According to court documents, an FBI SWAT team breached the front and rear doors of the house, finding Villatoro hiding in an alcove near the garage. When he refused to surrender, agents deployed a stun grenade before taking him into custody. A search of his bedroom in the garage uncovered multiple weapons, including a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun, three additional firearms, ammunition, and two silencers.

Attorney General Bondi underscored the severity of Villatoro’s role within MS-13. “Make no mistake–he was one of the top leaders, heading up all MS-13 violent crimes on the East Coast. He was responsible for heinous acts, and he should never have been in this country,” she stated.

Governor Youngkin reinforced Virginia’s position against sanctuary policies, warning that jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with federal authorities were endangering their communities. “Look who’s in your community. Look who’s living around the corner from citizens that are going to work, trying to build their lives in a place that’s the best place in America to live and work and raise a family,” Youngkin said. He criticised sanctuary cities for providing refuge to dangerous criminals and stated that Virginia would not tolerate such policies. “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.”

Youngkin also issued a warning to counties that do not comply with ICE enforcement, saying, “If counties don’t operate with ICE, we’ll defund them.” He referenced Fairfax County as an example of jurisdictions that have resisted collaboration with federal immigration authorities.

Bondi described Villatoro as “the worst of the worst” and linked the arrest to broader efforts initiated under US President Donald Trump’s administration. “President Trump’s directive to me when I became Attorney General was to keep America safe and make America safe again,” she said. “We didn’t need new laws, as President Trump said, we needed a new president.”

Interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert emphasised the aggressive approach being taken against criminal organisations. “In less than a month, we have arrested 340 suspects,” he stated. “To the criminals, all I have to say is, ‘we’re coming.”

MS-13, originally founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants, has long been considered one of the most violent gangs operating in the United States. President Trump officially designated it as a terrorist organisation during his administration. The gang has been linked to numerous high-profile killings, kidnappings, and drug-related crimes across the country, particularly in areas such as Washington, DC, California, and Long Island, New York.

Communities on Long Island have been especially affected by MS-13’s violent activities. Brentwood and other Suffolk County neighborhoods have witnessed brutal attacks in recent years, including the widely publicised 2016 murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens. Prosecutors said the two teenagers were killed with baseball bats and machetes after gang members believed they had disrespected them on social media. Jairo Saens, a senior MS-13 leader involved in the killings, was sentenced to 60 years in prison earlier this year.

Local law enforcement officials in New York have expressed strong interest in implementing a task force similar to Virginia’s. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney stated that he would welcome federal support in combating gang violence. “Because of the violent history of MS-13 on Long Island, law enforcement in Nassau and Suffolk counties have been working with our state and federal partners all along,” he said. “If our federal partners want to expand, it’s a great idea, and we hope that it would bring funding, which would allow us to do more to combat these dangerous gangs.”

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly also called for stronger federal intervention and urged New York Governor Kathy Hochul to consider establishing a similar initiative. “Gov. Hochul should be open to a conversation about having a gang task force here. I support it. We should do everything in our power to take down these gangs,” she said, as per reports by the New York Post.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the Virginia task force’s success would serve as a model for other states. “This task force proves what’s possible when strong leadership meets real collaboration. In just four weeks, we took down 342 criminals in Virginia by uniting state, local, and federal resources–backed by DOJ and driven by AG Pam Bondi’s vision,” the spokesperson said. “With Governor Youngkin setting the standard, we’re now taking this model nationwide to restore law and order in communities across America.”

The latest operation follows last week’s arrest of Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, a fugitive MS-13 member previously listed among the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted.” Bondi reaffirmed the administration’s dedication to dismantling the gang. “MS-13 is one of the most dangerous gangs in our country, and we are going to fight until they are completely dismantled,” she said. (ANI)