Top MS-13 Leader Arrested in Virginia Amid U.S.-El Salvador Ties

Key Points

• • A 24-year-old alleged leader of MS-13, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, was arrested in Virginia, identified as a major player for the East Coast.
• • Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed his status as one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the U.S. and noted he is an illegal alien from El Salvador.
• • The arrest was part of a new interagency task force initiated by the Trump administration targeting transnational organized crime and foreign gang members.
• • Santos faces charges for illegal possession of a firearm in addition to an outstanding immigration warrant.
• • In a separate incident, alleged MS-13 leader César Humberto López-Larios was deported to El Salvador after the U.S. dropped charges against him.
• • López-Larios was believed to have intelligence on corrupt dealings between MS-13 and Salvadoran government officials.
• • His deportation was part of a broader agreement where El Salvador accepted deported gang members in exchange for U.S. cooperation.
• • Critics called the deportation a "historical loss" for U.S. intelligence due to López-Larios's potential as a high-level informant.
• • Bukele's administration has been accused of negotiating deals with gang leaders to reduce public violence in exchange for political support and leniency.
• • The Trump administration's deportation flights have sparked legal controversies, with claims of violating a federal judge's order.
• • Bukele celebrated the arrival of López-Larios and other gang members in El Salvador, highlighting their potential intelligence value.
• • The operations demonstrate a complex relationship between U.S. law enforcement, Salvadoran government, and MS-13's leadership dynamics.