Federal authorities have arrested a man in Virginia who is accused of being a member of the MS-13 gang and is wanted in his home country for multiple killings.
Law enforcement officials said the suspect, a national of El Salvador, was taken into custody by U.S. immigration authorities after being identified as unlawfully present in the United States. Investigators allege he admitted involvement in at least five murders committed in El Salvador, many of which were tied to gang-related violence.
According to authorities, the suspect entered the United States years ago and remained in the country despite prior encounters with immigration officials. His arrest followed coordination between U.S. agencies and foreign law enforcement after an active warrant connected to the homicides surfaced.
Officials described the case as part of broader efforts to locate and detain individuals linked to violent transnational criminal organizations who are living in the U.S. illegally. The suspect is now being held as immigration proceedings move forward, with potential extradition pending coordination with authorities in his home country.
MS-13 is widely known by law enforcement as a violent international gang involved in murder, extortion, and organized criminal activity across multiple countries.