(NewsNation) — A former FBI agent and training specialist says the apprehension of a top MS-13 leader near Washington, D.C., this week may send a “chilling” message to others within the Salvadoran gang.
Trump administration officials say authorities in Virginia arrested one of the top three leaders of MS-13. A source identified the individual as Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, a 24-year-old migrant from El Salvador, who allegedly was the East Coast leader for the organization.
Rob Chadwick, director of education and training for Delta Defense and the USCCA, said the arrest could be “tremendously impactful.”
“One, it sends the clear message that no one is untouchable in that organization,” he told “NewsNation Now” on Thursday. “And two, it really serves to send a chilling effect to those members in the organization underneath that person. Because now they’re wondering, is that person cooperating with authorities? What access do authorities have to their social networks, their electronics?”
The arrest also demonstrates how law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels were able to cooperate, Chadwick said.
“Something like this really takes a lot of trust, a lot of phone calls, a lot of meetings,” he said.
The U.S. State Department earlier this year designated MS-13 as a terrorist organization. Also known as Mara Salvatrucha, the gang was created by Salvadoran immigrants in America before it gained a foothold in Central America, officials say.