FBI arrests fugitive MS-13 gang leader in connection to 11 murders, torture in Long Island

Federal authorities arrested a high-ranking MS-13 gang leader on Tuesday for his alleged role in a conspiracy responsible for 11 murders. Joel Vargas-Escobar, of El Salvador, also known as Momia, was taken into custody in Long Island, New York. The Department of Justice announced his apprehension in a press release.

According to the Justice Department, Vargas-Escobar had been a fugitive from justice for nearly four years and was indicted in the District of Nevada on racketeering conspiracy charges that involved 11 murders. He has also been charged with two counts of murder in aid of racketeering and associated firearms charges, per the DOJ.

"The American people are safer following the arrest of yet another MS-13 leader thanks to the Department of Justice's Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Vulcan," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. "This terrorist entered our country illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders - under President Trump's leadership, we will not rest until this terrorist organization is completely dismantled and its members are behind bars."

Vargas-Escobar was the alleged leader of the Parkview clique of MS-13 in Las Vegas and "personally ordered two of the charged murders," according to court documents. He and his co-defendants are allegedly part of MS-13's command and control structure in Las Vegas and California and hold significant leadership roles in the organization's operations.

The "Parkview" clique of MS-13 has committed 11 murders over a one-year time period in Nevada and California. Many of the victims were allegedly kidnapped and taken to remote locations in the mountains and desert, where they were tortured and killed, according to the indictment.

"The arrest of yet another violent and dangerous MS-13 leader is a major win for our FBI agents, law enforcement partners, and safer American streets," said FBI Director Kash Patel. "Our agents and analysts are continuously coordinating across multiple field offices and investigating with our value partners to keep this work going - and we will not stop until that work is done."

MS-13 is primarily made up of Salvadoran or other Central American citizens. The organization has about 10,000 members who regularly perform gang activities in at least ten states, with thousands more in Mexico and Central America. MS-13 is structured into "cliques" and operates using intimidation and violence, including murder. According to the Justice Department, members of the gang and its allies profit from criminal operations such as selling narcotics.

Vargas-Escobar appeared in court Wednesday morning for his initial appearance before US Magistrate Judge M. Wicks of the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York - Central Islip. He will be transferred to the District of Nevada for trial, where he faces a mandatory life in prison sentence.

The arrest operation was coordinated by the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division in Washington, DC.