Feds arrest MS-13 gang leader in New York on murder charges

Federal officials charged a high-ranking leader in the MS-13 gang with nearly a dozen murders after his Tuesday night arrest, according to a Wednesday statement from the Department of Justice. A grand jury in Nevada indicted Joel Vargas-Escobar for an alleged racketeering conspiracy involving 11 murders.

Numerous victims were kidnapped by gang members and taken to remote locations to be tortured and killed, according to the indictment. Vargas-Escobar was charged with two counts of murder-in-aid of racketeering and firearms charges, according to the DOJ. Vargas-Escobar illegally reentered the country after a 2018 deportation, according to the DOJ. FBI Director Kash Patel described the arrest as a significant win for law enforcement that will keep American streets safer.

Why is MS-13 a big deal? La Mara Salvatrucha, known as MS-13, is based out of El Salvador and uses intimidation and violence to enrich members, according to the DOJ. About 10,000 members operate out of at least 10 states, plus Washington D.C., and thousands of other members operate out of Central America and Mexico. Gang members are known to break into houses and steal firearms along with other items of value, and sell narcotics. President Donald Trump designated the Central American gang as a terrorist organization upon reentering office.

Dig deeper: Read my report from last week about officials in Virginia capturing another high-ranking MS-13 leader.