MS-13 Leader Arrest In Prince William Co.: 5 Things To Know

DALE CITY, VA — After Trump administration officials announced the arrest of a top MS-13 leader, unsealed court documents detail the arrest. However, the publicly-available court documents and court hearing had little mention of MS-13.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other officials announced the arrest on the morning of March 27. Bondi identified the person as the leader of MS-13 on the East Coast.

The Associated Press and other media later reported his identity as Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, and said he was served with an administrative immigration warrant. The El Salvadoran native faces a possession of a firearm by a prohibited person charge stemming from his arrest.

• Apple Moved Your Local News, Patch Emails — Here’s How to Fix It In 10 Seconds

Villatoro Santos appeared in Alexandria federal court following his March 27 arrest. The last case update on Tuesday was the court issuing a detention order. Court documents justifying him remaining in custody before trial cited strong evidence against the defendant, a lengthy incarceration sentence if convicted, family or other ties outside the U.S. and unknown or unverified background information.

The court documents said Villatoro Santos is undocumented and is subject to removal or deportation after serving a sentence. According to media reports, the case could be heading to a jury trial next.

Here's what we know about the case from federal court documents and media reports.

1. The FBI was doing surveillance on the Dale City home.

According to an affidavit from an ICE officer providing evidence for the gun possession charge, the FBI was watching the home on Chippendale Circle in Dale City since Villatoro Santos' mother reported a burglary in August 2024. The FBI had observed her son entering and exiting the home throughout March 2025.

2. Villatoro Santos had work authorization in between undocumented status.

The Prince William Times reported the ICE officer's testimony in court about the undocumented status of Villatoro Santos. According to the officer, he tried to enter the U.S. as a teen in 2014, but was stopped at the border. After release from a juvenile center, he went to live with his mother in Manassas. He received a juvenile status allowing him to seek legal status, and he ultimately received a deferred deportation and work authorization. ICE took away that authorization in 2023, but the ICE officer did not say why. While the ICE officer did not indicate any further applications for legal status, Villatoro Santos' defense suggested that ICE sent a letter to him about a green card application.

3. Villatoro Santos has few signs of criminal history.

The detention order did not list prior criminal history as a reason for keeping him in custody before trial. Virginia court records only show a possession of marijuana charge in 2018 in Prince William County court, which resulted in a guilty plea.

4. A SWAT Team used a stun grenade to arrest Villatoro Santos.

The affidavit details the March 27 arrest of Villatoro Santos. According to the ICE officer, an FBI SWAT team knocked and announced themselves before breaching the front and back doors of the home. SWAT team members found Villatoro Santos in an alcove leading to the garage, and he ducked behind a wall and did not follow commands to exit. Once law enforcement used a stun grenade, Villatoro Santos got close enough to the front tour for law enforcement to take him into custody.

According to the ACLU, stun grenades explode and cause a bright flashing light and loud noise, causing temporary blindness, temporary loss of hearing, panic and loss of balance. The ACLU opposes using stun grenades on crowds or individuals, citing injuries such as internal injuries from the explosion's shock waves, fragments of the object causing blunt or penetrating injuries, or burns from close proximity to the device.

5. Law enforcement find guns, MS-13 ties

Law enforcement found signs of MS-13 association in a garage bedroom of the home, according to the affidavit. That was the only MS-13 reference in unsealed court documents, but several remained sealed.

In addition, law enforcement recovered what appeared to be a 9-mm handgun reading "made in Brazil" with a serial number present. Three other guns, ammunition and two suppressors were also present in the garage bedroom.

However, Prince William Times reported that one gun appeared to be a toy BB gun, leading the ICE officer to transfer the items to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms for investigation.