US authorities arrested an alleged chief in an area MS-13 gang who had been a fugitive for practically 4 years after being charged in a conspiracy linked to 11 murders, the Justice Division mentioned on Wednesday.
Joel Vargas-Escobar was arrested in Westbury, New York late on Tuesday and is being transferred to Nevada, the place he was initially charged in a 2021 federal indictment.
Prosecutors are looking for to place him on trial with three co-defendants, who’re all alleged members of the gang, in accordance with court docket paperwork.
“This terrorist entered our nation illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders — beneath President Trump’s management, we won’t relaxation till this terrorist group is totally dismantled and its members are behind bars,” Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi mentioned in a press release.
The Justice Division beneath the Trump administration has prioritized circumstances involving drug cartels and felony gangs linked to unlawful immigration.
Vargas-Escobar, recognized as a frontrunner of the “Parkview” clique of MS-13 that operated out of Nevada and California, is dealing with racketeering, homicide and gun prices, in accordance with the indictment.
He has not but entered a plea.
The indictment instantly hyperlinks Vargas-Escobar to 2 murders in 2017.
Supply hyperlink
