MS-13 Leader Escapes U.S. Prosecution as DOJ Cites ‘Geopolitical Concerns’

Vladimir Arevalo-Chavez, a key figure on MS-13’s governing body, may escape a major federal trial due to U.S. efforts to deport him. Critics say this is part of a cover-up aimed at silencing his potential testimony about a secret pact between MS-13 and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
Arevalo-Chavez faces severe charges—racketeering, narco-terrorism, and conspiracy. Yet, prosecutors now want to dismiss them, citing ambiguous “national security concerns.”
This would be the second time in recent months the U.S. quietly deported a senior gang leader who could have testified about the Salvadoran government’s gang negotiations. Both men were sent to El Salvador’s Cecot prison, described by some as a political black hole.