PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – U.S. authorities have captured the top gang leader of MS-13 in Woodbridge, Virginia, according to reports.
What we know:
According to FOX News, the FBI announced the arrest on Thursday.
The 24-year-old suspect is being named as one of the top three leaders of the MS-13 gang in the U.S. The identity of the suspect has yet to be released.
The arrest was a joint effort, according to United States Attorney General Pam Bondi. The operation included the FBI joined by the Prince William County Police Department, ATF, ICE, and the Virginia State Police.
What they’re saying:
Officials discussed the details of the arrest on Thursday morning at a press conference at FBI headquarters in Prince William County, Virginia.
AG Bondi shared officials have been working on this operation for days and weeks. The suspect apprehended was the top leader of MS-13 for the U.S. East Coast.
“He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer.”
According to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, the arrest took place in Dale City on Thursday morning.
“It’s time for us to recognize that Virginia is not a sanctuary state.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin
The backstory:
Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently threatened state funding for local governments if they don’t cooperate with federal immigration authorities. It’s all part of the governor’s efforts to go after so-called “sanctuary cities” in the Commonwealth.
Youngkin first proposed this in December. Now he’s brought it back as a proposed amendment to the state budget passed by the General Assembly.
What they’re saying:
The proposal strips state funding from counties or cities that practice “sanctuary city” policies, like ignoring detainer requests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement before releasing illegal immigrants who’ve been in a local jail.
Chair of the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, Jeff Mckay, tells FOX 5 that Youngkin’s plan would effectively “defund the police.” He insists that Fairfax County is not a “sanctuary city” and says they follow all legal detainers.
“Ultimately, what he’s saying is, if you don’t agree with his non-lawyer definition of ‘sanctuary city,’ it could affect your law enforcement agency, and he’s doing this because he’s alleging significant crime is occurring,” McKay said.
This is a developing story that will be updated. Stay with FOX 5 DC for updates and more information.
The Source: Information from FOX News was used to write this report.
Crime and Public SafetyWoodbridge
