The Department of Justice announced Thursday morning that a top leader of the violent MS-13 gang had been arrested in Virginia and would soon be deported.
Alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the leader of MS-13 for the East Coast had been taken into custody about 30 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The arrest was part of a federal, state, and local task force that has been working for weeks on the operation.
“Early this morning, one of the top leaders of MS-13 was apprehended,” Bondi announced at a press conference. “He was 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, D.C. He is an illegal alien from El Salvador and he will not be living in our country much longer. He’s in custody this morning.”
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. pic.twitter.com/yKmhas068b
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) March 27, 2025
Bondi thanked Youngkin, Patel, Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and the other local and state agencies for their efforts to aid the operation.
“Everyone was working as a team and the most important thing: all of our agents were safe this morning, all of our law enforcement officers, and the bad guy is in jail. That’s what matters, that’s what happens. America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13 is off the streets,” Bondi said.
Bondi said that the undisclosed advanced technology had been used in the operation and that the DOJ would continue to push to dismantle MS-13 completely. She said that the man arrested was one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the United States.
Youngkin said that the arrest was made in Dale City, Virginia, and that the MS-13 leader was “going to go back where he came from.” He said that the arrest was made possible by the Trump administration, saying that he had little help from the Biden Administration his first three years as governor.
Bondi said that the kind of task force created would be offered to every other state around the country.
President Donald Trump celebrated the arrest on Truth Social, praising his border czar, Tom Homan.
“Just captured a major leader of MS13. Tom HOMAN is a superstar!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also announced the arrest.
“This is what happens when you have competent federal leadership working with state/local law enforcement on the ground!” she posted on X.
