It was sunny and sixty degrees in the leafy DC suburb of Woodbridge on Thursday afternoon.
Local residents were out and about, getting on with their shopping and daily business.
Hardly anyone around seemed to know that a dangerous drug lord had just been dethroned minutes away from their homes in north Virginia.
Yet, according to the FBI, a top MS-13 cartel leader, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, who was originally from El Salvador, had infiltrated the upscale neighborhood, which is just a 30 minute drive from the White House.
Agents arrested Santos in Dale City in the early hours on Thursday morning, with FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi both attending the takedown.
Based out of northern Virginia, the cartel leader was allegedly in charge of the gang’s entire East Coast operation.
But to some residents, news of the bust was not a complete surprise.
‘I know they got MS-13’s here, but did not know the leader was here,’ one man told the Daily Mail while chatting in a grocery store parking lot. ‘That’s ridiculous.’
Lester, a Woodbridge, Virginia, resident, said the signs of local cartel infiltration were evident as the cartel had clearly marked its territory.
‘They be going around painting people cars and and stuff, putting they MS-13 on cars and people houses,’ he revealed, adding he was glad federal authorities stepped in.
Woodbridge and Dale City residents Gwendolyn and Lester suspected there was gang activity in the area, but were surprised to hear that a leader of the notorious MS-13 gang was caught right in their backyards
‘I’m proud to announce that early this morning our brave law enforcement officers conducted a successful operation that captured a top MS-13 national leader. DOJ will not rest until we make America safe again,’ Bondi posted on X alongside this picture of the operation
Inmates remain in a cell at the Counter-Terrorism Confinement Centre (CECOT) mega-prison, where hundreds of members of the MS-13 and 18 Street gangs are being held, in Tecoluca, El Salvador on January 27, 2025. MS-13 began in Los Angeles in 1980, but has since evolved from a street gang to a multi-national criminal organization
‘I’m not surprised at all by anything that goes on this area,’ added Gwendolyn, a retired immigration enforcement employee. ‘This is par for the course.’
She suspected the cartel leader picked the diverse area so he could ‘melt into’ the area.
Still, she found the news ‘very, very frightening’.
‘Because, you know, that brings in a lot of crime, a lot of suspicious people come in,’ she said of the suspected drug lord living in the area.
Another resident, Willard, told the Daily Mail: ‘I’m totally surprised to hear that. You know, Woodbridge is somewhat of an inconspicuous area.’
‘I am definitely surprised to hear that,’ he added. ‘I was aware that there was gang activity, but nothing to that scale.’
George, who works in the area, said: ‘They should, like I just said, go back, get deported back to their country. We don’t need criminals like this.’
‘I’m happy that Trump’s doing something about it,’ he added.
The MS-13 gang originally started in Los Angeles in 1980. But over the decades it has evolved and gone from a street gang to a multi-national trafficking organization.
Bondi, Patel and Youngkin celebrated the arrest at press conference Thursday morning
Bondi, Patel and Youngkin huddle at the press conference
The MS-13 member was arrested on weapons charges, his arsenal is shown above
The authorities said Santos was one of the gang’s top three leaders in the U.S., and his arrest is a major victory for the DOJ and FBI.
‘America is safer today because one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13, he is off the streets,’ Bondi celebrated at a press conference Thursday morning after the raid.
She called the gang leader ‘the worst of the worst’.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin noted at the press conference how a task force was set up last month to tackle cartel operations in the U.S. after Patel was confirmed by the Senate.
‘I cannot emphasize enough the collaboration and support and leadership out of the new administration that is so different … than the previous three years,’ the Republican governor said.
Betsy, who has been living in the area for the past two years, also celebrated the arrest.
‘I’m glad that person’s off the street,’ she told Daily Mail, adding that she was very concerned a narco leader had set up shop in her town.
One local business operator, who asked not to be identified, shared that he has seen an uptick in cartel activity.
Both Willard and Betsy were shocked to discover the cartel had such a strong presence in their neighborhood
A residential complex in northern Virginia. Residents call it an ‘inconspicuous’ and diverse area
A golden gun silencer was found at the narco leader’s home
This businessman said he has seen fentanyl proliferate in the area, noting how the deadly opioid is flowing from the local cartel operators.
‘Some parts of Woodbridge are really rough,’ he admitted. He claimed he had also seen cartel activity but could not say if it was MS-13 or not.
The DOJ revealed that Santos was arrested on gun charges and shared images of his arsenal, which included several firearms and a golden silencer.
He had four weapons that were recovered at his home, according to the DOJ.
