MANASSAS, Va. (7News) — U.S. authorities have arrested a top Mara Salvatrucha, better known as MS-13, leader in Woodbridge, Virginia, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Governor Glenn Youngkin shared details about the operation at the Manassas FBI field office on Thursday morning.

The arrest of the MS-13 member was in Dale City in Prince William County early Thursday morning. The man was living just half an hour outside of Washington, D.C.

“America is safer today because of one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13 is off the streets,” said Attorney General Bondi.

The weeks-long operation was a joint effort with state and local agencies, including Virginia State Police, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Corrections.

President Donald Trump praised the agencies and authorities involved in the arrest on Truth Social Thursday morning.

The MS-13 leader is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, the FBI said.

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“MS-13 is one of the most dangerous gangs in our country, and we are going to fight until they are completely dismantled,” Attorney General Bondi said.

MS-13 was formed in the 1980s by Salvadoran immigrants in Los Angeles, California. Some members are trained in guerilla warfare and the use of military weapons, according to the Department of Justice.

The gang operates in at least 42 states and D.C. and has about 6,000 to 10,000 members nationwide, according to an 2008 threat assessment by the FBI.