DOJ to drop case against accused top MS-13 leader
By: Eduardo Cuevas
USA Today
..... The Justice Deportment withdrew its case against a 24-year-old Virginia man it accused of being a top leader of the MS-13 gang just two weeks ago, according to court filings on April 9. [2025]
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Federal prosecutors said in court filings they moved to drop the single felony gun possession charge against Henrry Josue Villatoror Santos, a Salvadoran national. The filing had no expiation for the reversal, which was issued just after Villatroro Santos' high-profile arrest in Northern Virgina in late March. [2025]
..... Attorney General Pam Bondi said in an April 9 [2025] statement that Vilatoro Santos will now face removal form the country.
..... The Trump administration officials had accursed Villatoro Santos of leading East Cost operations for MS-13, a transnational gang, and one of the gang's three top leaders in the United States Along with Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Virgina Governor Glenn Youngkin had a news conference highlighting his arrest and indicted they'd seek to deport him.
..... In a filing, Villatoro Santos; lawyer, Muhammad Elsaved, requested hat the court delay ordering a dismissal of the case for at least two weeks.
..... Elsayed acknowledge the "unusual nuture" of a defense lawyer opposing the dismissal of charges against his client. "But these are unusual times," he said.
..... If the judge dismissed the case, Elsayed argued, Villatoro Santos would immediately be transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and subsequently be deported to El Salvador without due process.
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Once there, Villatoro Santos would likely be placed in "one of the worst prisons in the world," Elsayed said, citing migrant sent to El Salvador's Terrorism confinement Center, know as CECOT. Villatoro Santos would have no trial or due process after federal officials called him a top MS-13 leader, Elsayed said.
..... "The risk of the turning effectively into a life sentence without any due process is very real," Elsayed said.
..... On March 27, [2025] Trump administration officials announced they led an early morning raid to arrest Villtoro Santos at his family's home.
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When agents searched his bedroom - located inside the home's garage - they said they found a 9mm handgun near the bed. Agents also allegedly found three additional firearms, ammunition and two suppressors. Agents also found "indicia of MS-13 association," according to an affidavit.
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The dismissal now sites before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsey R. Vaala of the Eastern District of Virginia.
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If enacted, Villatoro Santos wouldn't be the only one accused of ties to MS-13 who's had charges dropped by the Justice Department.
..... In March, [2025] federal prosecutors dropped terrorism charges against Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, who was accused of being a top MS-13 leader based on Long Island. He had been arrested last year, [2024] but U.S. officials deported him to El Salvador in March, [2025] according to court filings.
..... CNN reported he was among hundreds of people sent to a notorious mega-prison.
..... Contributing: Josh Meyer, USA Today