'Major' MS-13 Leader For The East Coast Arrested in Virginia: 'The Bad Guy Is In Custody'

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Top Trump administration officials announced on Thursday that a top leader of the MS-13 has been arrested in Virginia. President Donald Trump reacted to the news, calling it a "big deal."

The gang leader in question was arrested in Woodbridge, south of Washington D.C. His name has not been released, but the FBI said he is one of the top three leaders of the group in the country and the top one for the East Coast.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who monitored the arrest along with FBI Director Kash Patel, reacted to the arrest praising law enforcement agents. ""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," she said.

Patel gave a similar statement: "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."

MS-13 was born in Los Angeles during the 1980s. It was initially formed by Salvadoran immigrants seeking to protect nationals from other gangs in the area, but then evolved into a traditional criminal organization. It is known for extreme violence and a wide array of unlawful activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, and human trafficking.

The group was officially designated a terrorist group by the Trump administration, prohibiting Americans from providing "material support or resources" to these groups and paves the way for stricter law enforcement actions, including the deportation of gang members and affiliates.

The administration's offensive against the group has been ongoing. Just last week the Mexican government extradited Javier Román Bardales, a MS-13 leader and member of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list.

Bardales, also known as "El Veterano," was wanted by U.S. authorities for his alleged involvement in the direction of MS-13 activity in the U.S., Mexico and El Salvador.

FBI Director Kash Patel thanked Mexican authorities for their cooperation and handover of one of the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" suspects, the third such arrest since Trump took office. In a separate post, Patel added that the arrests are not "an accident."