Trump Admin Accused Of Dismissing Charges Against Another MS-13 Leader To Prevent Him From Revealing Pact Between Bukele And The Gang

The Trump administration is being accused again of seeking to quickly dismiss charges against a top MS-13 leader to prevent him from revealing secret dealings with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.

The man in question is Vladimir Antonio Arevalo-Chavez, according to The Guardian, and believed to be a top member of the gang. He stands accused of racketeering, terrorism and conspiring to commit narco-terrorism. The outlet noted that a filing from the Justice Department seeks to dismiss charges against him for "sensitive and important foreign policy considerations." The defendant is still in the country and his attorneys are asking for more information about the reason for the decision.

"The 'geopolitical and national security concerns' appear to be an effort by the government to support a 'deal' with El Salvador to assist Bukele in suppressing the truth about a secret negotiation he had with MS-13 leaders in return for our government using El Salvador prisons," said the alleged gang members' attorneys in a filing.

His case is not the first. Earlier this month, a judge dismissed charges brought against Henry Villatoro Santos, also accused of being a gang leader.

Villatoro Santos' attorneys questioned the DOJ back then, 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.

"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.

CNN reported in April that the Bukele administration specifically asked for nine MS-13 leaders to be brought back to the country. In exchange his government offered the Trump administration a 50% discount in the fee it charges for holding suspected gang members at its infamous mega-prison, known as CECOT.

It is the latest report as more gang members address the matter. Earlier in April, Carlos Cartagena Lopez, a leader of the Barrio 18 Revolutionaries, revealed details of a deal with Bukele to help propel him to power and keep him there.

The now president launched a war on gangs in 2022 after a massacre where 87 people were killed by criminal organizations. Ever since, his administration has incarcerated tens of thousands of people.

According to the Washington Office on Latin America, by March this year there were over 110,000 people in prison in the country, which now has the highest incarceration rate in the world. El País noted that 400 people have also died without trial, many with signs of torture.

The Bukele government has also substantially reduced violent crime since, with the homicide rate falling by more than 80%, according to the National Civil Police.

The mentioned massacre took place after the reported pact between Bukele and both MS-13 and Barrio 18 was broken. Cartagena Lopez, the Barrio 18 gang leader, was captured in April 2022 at a police checkpoint. Days later, however, he was released and "escorted to his home" due to "higher orders."

Another Barrio 18 leader also talked to El Faro, but asked to remain anonymous. The man, who showed his gang-related tattoos, recalled that the relationship began in 2014 when Bukele decided to run for mayor of San Salvador, the country's capital.

Both gang members said the middle man was Carlos Marroquín, an artist known as Slip who has been close to Bukele throughout his political career. Slip has been sanctioned by the U.S. State Department. They recalled that Marroquín would warn them about incoming police operations in their neighborhoods and also carry out projects in their communities.

In exchange, Bukele would demand their support, including the threatening of opposition activists and forcing people to vote for him. The outlet noted that Bukele has maintained the pact throughout the years, and El País noted that there is a "wealth of evidence" proving this, including "ntelligence documents, prosecutorial investigations, photos, audio recordings, and even accusations from the U.S. State Department."

Bukele has long denied negotiations, but his administration has resisted extraditing MS-13 leaders to the U.S., raising speculation about his desire to keep their testimony out of American courts.