FBI arrests leader of MS-13 gang in Prince William County
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — The FBI announced Thursday that a top MS-13 gang leader was arrested in Northern Virginia.
During a press conference, officials confirmed that FBI agents took the gang leader into custody in the Dale City area in Woodbridge on Thursday morning.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said that the man, whose name has not yet been released, was from El Salvador and was one of the top three leaders of the MS-13 gang operating in the East Coast region. She stated that he is behind several violent crimes and was recruited into the gang at a young age.
“They [MS-13 gang] are one of the most dangerous gangs in our country, and we are going to fight until they are completely dismantled in Virginia,” added Bondi.
Interim U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert said an operation was launched on March 3 combining federal, state and local resources to identify and arrest the most violent gang offenders in the Eastern District of Virginia.
He noted that in less than a month, the task force identified 575 targets and arrested 342 people.
“We don’t plan on stopping until all of these violent gang members are off of the streets,” said Siebert during the press conference.
Kash Patel, the Director of the FBI, said the arrest was a team effort between state and local partners and agents.
“This is a massive victory for a safer America,” wrote Patel in a post on X.