Top East Coast MS-13 Leader Arrested in Virginia, Officials Say

The East Coast leader of MS-13 was arrested on March 27 in Virginia in a joint federal and state operation involving more than a dozen law enforcement agencies.

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks about an MS-13 gang leader who was arrested in an operation by the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force in Dale City, Va., on March 27, 2025, during a news conference at the Manassas FBI Field Office in Manassas, Va., on March 27, 2025. Rod Lamkey/AP Photo

A senior leader of the violent transnational gang MS-13 was arrested on March 27 during a coordinated law enforcement operation in Dale City, Virginia, top officials announced in a news conference.

Authorities described the suspect as one of the top three MS-13 operatives in the United States and the gang’s East Coast leader. He is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and is currently in custody, Attorney General Pam Bondi said during a news conference held later in the morning.