A recent arrest in Prince William County has made national headlines. On Thursday, March 27, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth social platform: “Just captured a major leader of MS-13.”
That leader is Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, a citizen of El Salvador, according to court documents shared by InsideNoVa. A White House press release states that Villatoro Santos was “one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the United States.”
Court records state that Villatoro Santos was taken into custody on an outstanding administrative immigration warrant. He was arrested at his home on Chippendale Circle in Woodbridge. Agents searched the house and found a handgun, additional firearms, ammunition, and two suppressors, court records show.
In a press conference held March 27 in Manassas, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13, he is off the streets. This has been an ongoing directive of President Trump. His directive to me when I became Attorney General of the United States was very simple: Keep America safe.” Virginia Govenor Glenn Youngkin and FBI Director Kash Patel also spoke at the conference.
The newly formed Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF) made the arrest. The interagency group was founded “to combat transnational organized crime and coordinate ongoing immigration enforcement efforts across Virginia.”
“This task force is going to go everywhere as needed across the United States to bring the form of justice and measured security and safety that our American citizens deserve,” Patel said.
Villatoro Santos is currently incarcerated on the federal charges at the Alexandria city jail, InsideNoVA reports. He has an April 1 court date.
Feature image courtesy U.S. Justice Department/YouTube