The Biden border crisis unleashed a wave of violent crime across America.
President Trump promised to clean up the mess.
And Kash Patel crushed MS-13 with one midnight raid that Democrats never saw coming.
Top MS-13 gang leader taken off the streets
The open border catastrophe under Joe Biden allowed vicious gangs to flood into American communities.
MS-13, one of the most brutal Salvadoran gangs, took advantage of Biden’s policies to expand their drug trafficking and violent criminal operations throughout the United States.
In a major victory for public safety, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest of a top MS-13 kingpin who had been operating just miles from our nation’s capital.
“He was the leader for the East Coast, one of the top three in the entire country, right here in Virginia, living half an hour outside of Washington, D.C.,” Bondi revealed during the press conference. “He is an illegal alien from El Salvador, and he will not be living in our country much longer.”
The predawn raid in Dale City, Virginia, marked a dramatic shift in federal law enforcement priorities under the Trump administration.
“America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13 is off the streets,” Bondi continued, putting a fine point on the significance of the operation.
Trump administration taking the handcuffs off law enforcement
Under President Trump’s direction, MS-13 and other Latin American gangs have been officially designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
This classification allows federal authorities to use more aggressive tactics and resources to combat these violent criminal enterprises.
Trump’s administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in a bold move to expedite the deportation of gang members, though activist judges attempted to block the effort.
The FBI, under Patel’s leadership, has pivoted sharply away from the politically-motivated investigations that dominated the bureau during the Biden years, like targeting grandmothers who attended January 6 protests.
Instead, the FBI’s agents are now pursuing violent criminals who pose genuine threats to Americans.
“This is what happens when you let good cops be cops, and we’re going to continue to be cops across this country,” Patel stated during his remarks at the press conference announcing the bust. Â
🚨 East Coast MS-13 Leader Captured and Arrested in Virginia.
“If you are here illegally, you will not be here any longer”
Kash Patel
FBI Director pic.twitter.com/CE42W6zrXD— Booker (@RealBookerScott) March 27, 2025
“And if you are here illegally, you will not be here any longer, and if you are going to continue to commit acts of violent crime, you will meet the same fate that this individual did this morning,” Patel continued.Â
The results of this policy shift are already apparent in the streets of Northern Virginia, which has become a stronghold for MS-13 operations.
According to Bondi, arrests of illegal criminal aliens in Virginia have skyrocketed by 468% compared to the previous year under Biden.
“MS-13 — they are organized, they are violent, they are committing homicides throughout our country,” Bondi explained during the announcement. “They are one of the most dangerous gangs in our country and we are going to fight until they are completely dismantled.”
Patel’s FBI prioritizing real criminals over political targets
When questioned about how long the MS-13 kingpin had been operating in the United States, Patel’s response was blunt.
“The bottom line is — for far too long,” he stated. “Because of operational security we won’t get into details about this individual. If you’re here for a minute, a day, a month, or a year you’ve been here far too long and [Attorney] General Bondi has made it a priority at this FBI we manhunt every single person committing violent crime.”
This marks a dramatic contrast with the previous administration’s approach to law enforcement.
Under Biden and former Attorney General Merrick Garland, the FBI conducted the largest investigation in its history targeting January 6 protesters.
Resources that could have been used to combat serious threats like MS-13 were instead diverted to political prosecutions of Trump supporters.
Meanwhile, violent criminals operated with virtual impunity in cities across America.
The arrest of this high-ranking MS-13 leader demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to putting Americans’ safety first.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been conducting sweeps throughout Virginia and other MS-13 hotspots, removing dangerous criminals who should never have been allowed to enter the country.
This aggressive approach sends a clear message to criminal organizations that the era of open borders and lax enforcement is over.
The Biden administration’s policies created a dangerous environment where violent gangs like MS-13 could thrive and expand their reach into American communities.
Now, with Trump back in the White House and officials like Patel and Bondi leading federal law enforcement, Americans can expect to see more raids targeting the criminal elements that threaten public safety.
For the residents of Northern Virginia who have lived in fear of MS-13’s violence, this raid represents more than just a single arrest—it signals that help has finally arrived.
While Democrat-appointed judges continue to throw up roadblocks to Trump’s enforcement actions, Patel’s FBI and Bondi’s Justice Department are finding ways to take the fight directly to criminal organizations.
The raid in Dale City may be just the beginning of a nationwide effort to dismantle MS-13 and other violent gangs that flourished during the Biden years.
