MS-13 Gang Leader Arrested in Virginia, Allegations of Illegal Immigration

Apprehension of Alleged MS-13 Leader

• 🚨 One of the top three alleged leaders of the MS-13 gang has been apprehended in Dale City, Virginia, near Washington D.C.
• 🤝 The arrest was the result of a joint operation involving federal agencies and Virginia state officials.
• 🇪🇸 The apprehended individual is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, recruited into the gang at a young age and rising to a leadership position.

Attorney General's Statement

• ⚖️ Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the individual, considered very dangerous, will not be living in the U.S. much longer.
• 💥 The MS-13 gang has been designated as a terrorist organization.

Virginia's Role and 287(g) Program

• 🏛️ Virginia Governor Youngkin announced his state's participation in the apprehension effort through the 287(g) program.
• 👮 This program deputizes local officers to assist with immigration enforcement, leading to the arrest of at least 340 criminal illegal immigrants in the state.
• 🚫 Governor Youngkin also called for the defunding of sanctuary cities, which he believes shield undocumented immigrants.

DHS Secretary's International Travel

• ✈️ DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is engaged in international travel, visiting El Salvador and Colombia to discuss immigration and drug trafficking.
• 🇨🇴 In Colombia, discussions aim to address immigration and prevent drug trafficking, despite a strained relationship regarding deportation flights.
• 📊 U.S. DHS sources indicate over 30,000 Colombian nationals have final orders of removal, with nearly 400,000 active cases nationwide, and only a fraction are in custody.