Judge Dismisses Charges Against Man Accused By AG Bondi Of Being MS-13 Leader

A judge has dismissed charges brought against Henry Villatoro Santos, a man accused of being a top MS-13 leader, after the Department of Justice (DOJ) requested so earlier this month.

However, the request was made to expedite deportation proceedings against the man, rather than a lack of willingness to prosecute him. The arrest of Villatoro Santos was announced in a nationally televised press conference in late March.

Bondi said Villatoro Santos was responsible for "very violent crimes, anything you can associate with MS-13." "He was the leader over it, all of the violent crimes," added Bondi, who also claimed the man had been "recruited in middle school."

"He's been living here illegally with friends and family, and the Biden administration did absolutely nothing to deport these people. You know, as the president says, we didn't need new laws, we needed a new president to fix this," she said.

The DOJ made the request to drop the charges with a U.S. marshal from the Fugitive Task Force in the courtroom, a move suggesting the man could be taken into immigration custody after the hearing.

Villatoro Santos' attorneys have questioned the DOJ, with Muhammad Elsayed calling it an "unusual case." He added that the court had to determine whether the motion "was made in good faith" as the DOJ did not provide any "explanation whatsoever" for withdrawing the charges.

"The DOJ did not seek to remove this case without knowing what's coming next," said Elsayed, who warned about an "unlawful deportation."

"As a terrorist, he will now face the removal process," Bondi said in a statement after CBS news reported on the DOJ's move. However, experts consulted by the outlet noted that deporting the man without securing a criminal conviction first would break historical precedent.

"Historically and consistently, if someone truly is a leader of a violent gang, we would always prosecute them first and convict them first — and make sure they can't get back into the country," Scott Fredericksen, a former federal prosecutor, told the outlet.

The development follows a report by Drop Site News, which claimed another MS-13 leader was likely deported so he wouldn't reveal shady deals between Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and local gangs.