A high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) was arrested in New York on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in a racketeering conspiracy that included 11 murders.
Joel Vargas-Escobar, also known as “Momia,” was indicted in the District of Nevada and faces charges of racketeering conspiracy involving 11 murders, as well as two counts of murder-in-aid of racketeering and related firearms charges. Vargas-Escobar, who had previously been deported to El Salvador and illegally re-entered the United States, had been a fugitive for nearly four years.
READ: FBI Crackdown Highlights: Violent Crime Cases Ranging From Gang Activity To Hate Crimes
“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,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “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.”
FBI Director Kash Patel stated, “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. Our agents and analysts are continuously coordinating across multiple field offices and investigating with our valued partners to keep this work going — and we will not stop until that work is done.”
READ: FBI, AG Pam Bondi Announce Arrest Of MS-13 East Coast Leader Living In Virginia
Court documents detail that MS-13 is a transnational gang with a large membership of Salvadoran and Central American individuals. The gang, with over 10,000 members in at least 10 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., and thousands more in Central America and Mexico, is known for its use of violence and intimidation, including murder. MS-13 engages in various criminal activities, such as burglary, theft, narcotics sales, and is organized into subsets called “cliques,” each with leaders known as “shot callers.”
Vargas-Escobar and his co-defendants allegedly occupied leadership positions within MS-13’s structure in Las Vegas and California. The indictment specifically charges members of the “Parkview” clique with committing 11 murders in Nevada and California over a period of approximately one year. Prosecutors allege that many victims were kidnapped, taken to remote locations, and subjected to torture and murder.
Vargas-Escobar is accused of leading the Parkview clique in Las Vegas and personally ordering two of the murders. He was deported to El Salvador in 2018 but later illegally re-entered the United States.
READ: ICE And FBI Nab MS-13 Kingpin In Maryland Suburb
The arrest operation was a collaborative effort led by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, with support from the FBI’s Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York field offices, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), established in 2019 to combat MS-13 and now expanded to include Tren de Aragua, involves U.S. Attorney’s Offices across numerous districts, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Criminal Division, and various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
