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Federal and state officials announced the arrest of one of the top three leaders of MS-13 on the East Coast, marking a major breakthrough in efforts to dismantle the violent transnational gang. The 24-year-old suspect, captured in Woodbridge, Virginia, was taken into custody without incident following weeks of coordinated surveillance and intelligence gathering. Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and senior DOJ officials monitored the early-morning operation from a tactical command center, underscoring the high-stakes planning behind the arrest.
MS-13, formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants, has grown into one of the most violent gangs in the U.S., tied to murders, extortion, and drug trafficking. Its loosely organized cliques operate nationwide, with regional commanders directing recruitment and discipline. The captured leader was one of only three gang figures believed to hold national authority.
Officials praised the operation as proof of the Trump administration’s commitment to combating gang violence, citing a 468% increase in arrests compared to the prior year. Evidence seized will undergo forensic analysis, and prosecutors are preparing racketeering and conspiracy charges. Authorities framed the arrest as both a tactical success and a warning: no MS-13 leader is beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement.
