DOJ moves to deport alleged MS-13 leader instead of prosecute
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to drop the prosecution of Henrry Villatoro Santos, an alleged leader of the MS-13 gang, opting rather to pursue his deportation. This decision came after DOJ attorneys presented their case to a judge in Virginia. Santos was previously arrested in Northern Virginia and was alleged to be among the top leaders of MS-13 in the United States. Following a press conference where this arrest was publicly highlighted, the DOJ announced the shift from criminal charges to deportation. Attorney General ashley Moody stated that Santos, characterized as a terrorist, would undergo the removal process. This move raised concern, particularly from Santos’s attorney, who argued for his right to due process amid prior public scrutiny of the case. Initially, Santos faced firearm violation charges along with evidence linking him to MS-13 and illegal weapons found at his residence.
DOJ moves to deport alleged MS-13 leader instead of prosecute
Department of Justice attorneys told a judge in Virginia on Wednesday evening that they wanted to drop a case they brought against the alleged East Coast leader of a violent transnational gang, rather than move forward with prosecuting him.
The move came after top DOJ officials held a large press conference last month alongside Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to draw attention to Henrry Villatoro Santos’s arrest in a Northern Virginia suburb. They alleged at the time that he was one of the top three leaders in the country of the MS-13 gang.
After the revelation of his case dismissal, Bondi said she planned to seek his deportation in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.
“As a terrorist, he will now face the removal process,” Bondi said.
During the press conference, Bondi had said that “anything you can associate with MS-13, he was the leader over it, all of the violent crimes.”
TOP MS-13 GANG SUSPECTED ARRESTED IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA
However, the attorney general also noted that he would “not be living in our country much longer,” suggesting deportation was an alternative to prosecution.
Prosecutors initially charged Santos with a firearm violation and Bondi had warned in a television interview that more charges were coming. Prosecutors also said authorities found “indicia of MS-13 association” in his home, along with illegal weapons.
The abrupt shift to seeking Santos’s deportation instead of moving forward with seeking a conviction of gang-related charges raised eyebrows among some, including Santos’s attorney.
In an unusual move, the attorney objected to his client’s case dismissal and instead said he should be afforded due process after the “massive publicity” about the case.
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