Justice Department moves to drop case against alleged top MS-13 leader, seeks to deport him instead [View all]

Source: Associated Press, via WTOP

Justice Department moves to drop case against alleged top MS-13 leader, seeks to deport him instead

The Associated Press
April 10, 2025, 12:41 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has moved to drop a criminal case against the alleged East Coast leader of the MS-13 gang less two weeks after he was charged, saying they plan to deport him instead of prosecuting him in the U.S. ... In an unusual move, his lawyer is now fighting prosecutors’ request to immediately dismiss the case, contending he’s in danger of being swiftly deported without due process and sent to an El Salvador prison.

The late March arrest of Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos in the suburbs outside of Washington was loudly celebrated by the Trump administration as a major victory in the president’s effort to take down violent street gangs designated “foreign terrorist organizations.” ... Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other law enforcement leaders held a press conference to announce his arrest. Bondi and Patel and other senior officials watched the arrest happen in northern Virginia in a nearby operation center.

The El Salvador man, who Bondi says was living in the country illegally, was charged in federal court with illegal gun possession after agents found several firearms during the search of his home, according to court papers. Investigators have said they found “indicia of MS-13 association” in his bedroom but prosecutors have provided no other details in court documents about his alleged gang involvement.

Prosecutors told the judge on Wednesday that he should dismiss the case because “the government no longer wishes to pursue the instant prosecution at this time.”

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