Three correctional officers were stabbed and two others injured in a violent assault at Wallens Ridge State Prison in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, allegedly carried out by inmates tied to violent transnational gangs.
Authorities say six inmates, including five confirmed members of the MS-13 gang who are reportedly in the U.S. illegally, and one U.S. citizen affiliated with the Sureño 13 gang, orchestrated a coordinated attack inside the high-security facility.
The assault left three officers with stab wounds—two of whom required hospitalization but are now in stable condition. The remaining officers sustained less serious injuries and have since been released.
Virginia’s Department of Corrections described the attack as a calculated act of gang violence. Officials stressed that correctional officers face daily dangers, and this incident has reignited concerns over housing violent gang members within the prison system.
Governor Glenn Youngkin expressed solidarity with the injured staff, using the incident to call attention to broader issues surrounding illegal immigration and public safety.
The attack has prompted renewed scrutiny of security procedures in state prisons, particularly those housing members of internationally recognized criminal organizations. Investigators are now working to determine how the assault was planned and what lapses, if any, allowed it to unfold.