Attorney General Pamela Bondi 03/27/25, capture of a top MS-13 national leader | Image by Attorney General Pamela Bondi @AGPamBondi/X
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced on Thursday the arrest of a person they described as one of the top three MS-13 gang leaders in the country.
“BREAKING: I’m proud to announce that early this morning our brave law enforcement officers conducted a successful operation that captured a top MS-13 national leader – DOJ will not rest until we make America safe again,” posted Bondi on X.
At a morning press conference to announce the arrest, officials provided few details about the person arrested or the operation that resulted in his apprehension.
Bondi described the suspect as “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, DC.”
“He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer,” Bondi added.
A Justice Department spokesperson told The Washington Post that the unnamed 24-year-old suspect would be prosecuted in federal court in Virginia, but details of the case were being withheld to protect “law enforcement priorities” and other continuing investigations.
The arrest, promoted as part of a crackdown by the Trump administration on foreign gang members living in the U.S., was executed by a new interagency task force set up to target transnational organized crime.
Last month, the U.S. Department of State declared the MS-13 gang, also known as Mara Salvatrucha and seven other Latin American criminal organizations as terrorist organizations.
Prince William County Police Chief Peter Newsham, whose department was involved in the case, said the investigation began before Trump took office. He said it was initiated by a detective specializing in criminal gangs in his agency.
“Our guy was the one who started the investigation,” Newsham said, per The Washington Post, adding that the operation was a “typical collaboration between locals and feds in a criminal case.”
“This appears to be a significant arrest,” Newsham continued. “To get someone in a leadership position, regardless of the administration, shows how local and federal officers work together to get violent offenders off the street.
