The Trump administration announced on Thursday that federal authorities had arrested a “key leader” of the MS-13 gang in Virginia.
The White House has not yet released the name of the individual but explained that the individual is from El Salvador and was “one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the United States,” according to a press release.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that “this is a big win for the American public” and that President Trump “is very proud of Attorney General Bondi and the FBI Director, Kash Patel.”
The administration worked with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to bring about the arrest.
Leavitt further noted that the suspect “was a very violent individual who was picked up in a home with five children present.”
The press secretary then answered questions about the tariff wars and the controversy over “Signalgate.”
.@PressSec Karoline Leavitt speaks to media on arrest of a MS-13 gang member in Virginia, President Trump's announcement of new tariffs and the ongoing investigation into the use of Signal by national security and military officials to discuss a U.S. attack on Yemen. pic.twitter.com/Wc3CGrxZ7X
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 27, 2025
The president, in a post on Truth Social, celebrated the capture of the suspected gang member, saying border czar Tom Homan is a “superstar.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi also lauded the arrest, saying, “America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13, he is off the streets. This has been an ongoing directive of President Trump. His directive to me when I became Attorney General of the United States was very simple: keep America safe.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said,“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. President Trump gave us the executive decision to go after and safeguard our communities … We are returning our communities to safety.”
Gov. Youngkin explained that the “task force was designed in the White House … architected in a very quick period of time and stood up immediately.”
Earlier this month, Patel announced that an alleged MS-13 leader was extradited to the United States from Mexico. The individual had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list and is suspected of having facilitated violence against civilians and other gang members.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently nabbed multiple MS-13 gang members in northern Virginia.
According to ICE, it arrested 214 illegal immigrants in northern Virginia during an enhanced enforcement operation that targeted dangerous transnational organized crime and egregious criminal illegal aliens between March 1 and 13. The agency reported the arrest of several Salvadoran nationals with suspected connections to the MS-13 gang, including those with prior convictions for malicious wounding, larceny, and weapons offenses. Additionally, a Jamaican national was taken into custody, who had previously been convicted of second-degree murder and firearm-related felonies.
MS-13 is one of the most brutal transnational gangs in the world. It was formed in Los Angeles during the 1980s by El Salvadoran immigrants. It is known for its brutal tactics, including machete attacks, extortion, human trafficking, and drug smuggling.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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