The FBI said Thursday that 24-year-old Salvadoran national Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, the MS-13 East Coast’s top leader, had been apprehended by U.S. officials.
Just south of Washington, D.C., in Woodbridge, Virginia, authorities apprehended Santos and accused him of being an illegal alien in possession of a handgun.
According to them, he is among the top three MS-13 gang commanders in the United States.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi observed the arrest from a tactical operations center nearby.
Senior DOJ official Emil Bove and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche were also in attendance.
“They executed a clean, safe operation and the bad guys in custody. And thanks to the FBI, we got one of the worst of the worst of the MS-13 off the streets this morning. Virginia and the country is a lot safer today,” Bondi stated.
The Virginia State Police, ATF, ICE, and the Prince William County Police Department supported the FBI in the operation.
According to court filings, authorities discovered a 9mm handgun in Villatoro’s bedroom along with three more guns, ammunition, and two suppressors.
According to an affidavit, officers used a stun grenade after Villatoro refused to leave the house. Throughout March, FBI agents had been monitoring Villatoro’s mother’s house, where the arrest occurred.
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Agents found “indicia of MS-13 association in Villatoro’s bedroom,” according to the affidavit.
“Great job by Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, Tom HOMAN, and Kristi N, on the capture of MS13 leader – A big deal!” President Donald Trump stated on social media.
Patel also commended police enforcement for carrying out the operation in a safe manner.
“This is what can happen when you put good cops in good places to take on bad guys. And America should be watching this. And we are proud to be here standing with these brave warriors,” Patel stated.
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The operation on Thursday is just the most recent to target high-ranking members of American drug trafficking and gang organizations.
In only the last two months, the FBI has taken three people off its top ten most wanted list.
Several senior MS-13 members have been deported by Trump‘s administration to El Salvador for imprisonment.
This Information has been sourced from foxnews.
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