U.S. authorities have arrested a top leader of the MS-13 gang responsible for operations on the East Coast, the FBI announced on Thursday.
The 24-year-old suspect was taken into custody in Woodbridge, Virginia, just south of Washington, D.C. While officials have not yet released his name, they confirmed he is among the top three MS-13 leaders operating in the United States.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel observed the arrest from a nearby tactical operations center. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and senior DOJ official Emil Bove were also present during the operation.
FBI Director Kash Patel following the capture of Major MS-13 leader: “This is what happens when you let good cops be cops and we’re going to continue to let good cops be cops across this country… We are returning our communities to safety.”pic.twitter.com/kP0uWQM9fb
— Resist Times (@resistupdates) March 27, 2025
“They executed a clean, safe operation, and the bad guy is in custody. Thanks to the FBI, we took one of the worst of the worst MS-13 members off the streets this morning. Virginia and the country are a lot safer today,” Bondi told Fox News following the arrest.
The operation was