Federal authorities on Thursday morning arrested a top MS-13 gang leader and illegal immigrant from El Salvador, as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration and gang violence.
The suspect, 24, is one of the transnational gang's top three leaders in the United States and the head of the group's East Coast operations, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a press conference following a federal raid in northern Virginia. Bondi described the suspect, who was "living half an hour outside of Washington, D.C.," as one of the "top leaders" and "top domestic terrorists" in MS-13.
The arrest comes as the Trump administration ramps up law enforcement in response to record-high illegal crossings under the Biden administration. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 28,319 illegal aliens between January 20 and March 11, the agency told Newsweek. Trump in a Thursday post on Truth Social praised the arrest and called his border czar, Tom Homan, a "superstar."
While officials are not yet identifying the suspect, Bondi described him as "one of the top members, top three in the entire country, head of the East Coast, one of the three leaders," who committed "very violent crimes … anything you can associate with MS-13."
"He should not have been in this country," Bondi said.
"This is what happens when you let good cops be cops," said FBI director Kash Patel, who appeared alongside Bondi and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin (R.) at the press conference.
"Thanks to the brave leadership of this administration and the folks that you see here, we are returning our communities to safety," Patel said.
The MS-13 gang, formally known as Mara Salvatrucha, was formed in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles. The group is notorious for brutal violence, including machete attacks and executions, with many members trained in guerrilla warfare.
"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."