Federal agents arrested an alleged MS-13 gang leader early Thursday morning in a raid near Dale City, Virginia. Authorities said the suspect, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, is one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the United States.
Villatoro Santos, a citizen of El Salvador, was living in the U.S. illegally. Court documents unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Virginia state that Villatoro Santos was taken into custody on an outstanding administrative immigration warrant. He was also charged with illegal firearm possession after federal agents discovered multiple firearms at his residence.
NEW: The MS-13 east coast leader arrested by the FBI this morning has been ID’d as Salvadoran illegal alien Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, and he’s currently in custody on a holding charge of being an alien in possession of a firearm. FBI found a Taurus G2c 9mm gun as well as… pic.twitter.com/mlKhfoTd0f
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 27, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel held a press conference after the arrest. “This guy was living just 30 minutes from Washington, D.C.,” Bondi said. “He is the worst of the worst.”
“This is what happens when you let good cops be cops,” said Patel. “We’re making our communities safer.”
The arrest was part of a raid conducted by a joint task force involving the FBI, Virginia State Police, and Prince William County police, as part of a wider federal effort to combat gangs and illegal immigration. Patel said the task force has detained 340 undocumented migrants with criminal ties this month alone.
In just 4 weeks, the task force we launched—with the backing of DOJ and the leadership of AG Pam Bondi—brought together state, local, and federal law enforcement.
The results speak for themselves: 342 criminals off the streets in Virginia. This is what real leadership looks…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 27, 2025
MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, is a violent gang with roots in El Salvador. The Trump administration recently labeled it a foreign terrorist organization. The group has thousands of members in the U.S., including active cliques in the D.C. area.
It is unclear whether Villatoro Santos will be deported or face more charges. The U.S. has previously deported other MS-13 leaders and worked with El Salvador to hold them in custody.
