Washington, DC: Authorities in the United States on Thursday (local time) announced that they had arrested a high-ranking leader of the MS-13 gang in Virginia during a major crackdown on criminal networks. 24-year-old illegal immigrant Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos was taken into custody during a large-scale raid in Prince William County on weapon charges, the New York Post reported.
According to authorities, Villatoro is one of the top leaders of MS-13 and is responsible for planning violent crimes on the East Coast.
A multi-agency task force, led by the FBI and including ICE, ATF, Virginia State Police, and Prince William County Police, has made significant progress fighting illegal immigration and crime. Started on March 3, the operation has already led to the arrest of 340 individuals this month. FBI Director Kash Patel lauded the initiative’s success in improving public safety.
“This is what happens when you let good cops be cops,” Patel said at a press conference. He also credited the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin for their coordinated efforts. “The arrest of an MS-13 leader this morning is a critical victory for law enforcement and a strong message to violent gangs: your days of terrorising our communities are numbered,” he told the New York Post.
Authorities located Villatoro after conducting surveillance on his mother’s home in Woodbridge.
Federal agents apprehended MS-13 leader Luis Villatoro after a SWAT raid on his home. Villatoro, found hiding in his garage, resisted arrest, prompting the use of a stun grenade. A subsequent search of his residence revealed several firearms, ammunition, and silencers. Attorney General Bondi described Villatoro as a high-ranking MS-13 member responsible for numerous violent crimes on the East Coast, emphasizing the severity of his actions and illegal immigration status.
Governor Youngkin reinforced Virginia’s position against sanctuary policies, warning that jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with federal authorities were endangering their communities. “Look who’s in your community. Look who’s living around the corner from citizens that are going to work, trying to build their lives in a place that’s the best place in America to live and work and raise a family,” Youngkin said. He criticised sanctuary cities for providing refuge to dangerous criminals and stated that Virginia would not tolerate such policies. “We are working to get the bad guys out of here, and if you are a local jurisdiction and not helping us and not cooperating with us, you are working against the safety of all of those men and women that call your jurisdiction home.”
Governor Youngkin threatened to cut funding for counties that refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He cited Fairfax County as an example of non-compliant jurisdictions.
Bondi described Villatoro as “the worst of the worst” and linked the arrest to broader efforts initiated under US President Donald Trump’s administration. “President Trump’s directive to me when I became Attorney General was to keep America safe and make America safe again,” she said. “We didn’t need new laws, as President Trump said, we needed a new president.”
Interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert emphasised the aggressive approach being taken against criminal organisations. “In less than a month, we have arrested 340 suspects,” he stated. “To the criminals, all I have to say is, ‘we’re coming.'”
MS-13, originally founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants, has long been considered one of the most violent gangs operating in the United States. President Trump officially designated it as a terrorist organisation during his administration. The gang has been linked to numerous high-profile killings, kidnappings, and drug-related crimes across the country, particularly in areas such as Washington, DC, California, and Long Island, New York.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the Virginia task force’s success would serve as a model for other states. “This task force proves what’s possible when strong leadership meets real collaboration. In just four weeks, we took down 342 criminals in Virginia by uniting state, local, and federal resources–backed by DOJ and driven by AG Pam Bondi’s vision,” the spokesperson said. “With Governor Youngkin setting the standard, we’re now taking this model nationwide to restore law and order in communities across America.”
Following the recent capture of Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, a top MS-13 fugitive, authorities conducted another operation targeting the gang. This action underscores the administration’s commitment to eradicating MS-13, which officials describe as one of the nation’s most dangerous criminal organizations.
(With ANI inputs).
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