Senior MS-13 Leader Arrested After 4-Year Evasion, Facing Terrorism Charges
In a significant development, a senior figure within the infamous MS-13 transnational criminal organization has been apprehended in Southern California after evading capture for four years. Court documents reveal that the arrest was made on terrorism charges, marking a major breakthrough in law enforcement efforts against this notorious criminal group.
After being on the run for four years, a top leader of MS-13, a major criminal organization, was arrested in Southern California this month on terrorism charges, as stated in court documents.
Freddy Ivan Jandres-Parada was charged by federal prosecutors in December 2020 for his involvement in MS-13's board of directors, also known as the Ranfla Nacional, along with twelve other MS-13 members, according to his indictment. Authorities had been searching for him since then, even offering a reward for his capture on the FBI's Most Wanted list.
Jandres-Parada was taken into custody by the FBI in San Diego on March 7, as confirmed by federal officials. A detention order from March 8 states that he chose not to seek bail. CNN is currently in the process of finding a defense attorney for Jandres-Parada.
TECOLUCA, EL SALVADOR - FEBRUARY 24: A first group of 2,000 detainees are moved to the mega- prison Terrorist Confinement Centre (CECOT) on February 24, 2023 in Tecoluca, El Salvador. Since president Nayib Bukele announced state of exception in March 2022, over 62,000 suspected gang members have been arrested. Human Rights organizations denounce abuses and due process violations. El Salvador has one of highest crime rates in Latin America. (Photo by Presidencia El Salvador via Getty Images )
In Tecoluca, El Salvador, a group of 2,000 detainees is being transferred to the mega-prison Terrorist Confinement Centre (CECOT) on February 24, 2023. This move comes after President Nayib Bukele declared a state of exception in March 2022, leading to the arrest of over 62,000 suspected gang members. However, Human Rights organizations have raised concerns about abuses and violations of due process. El Salvador is known for having one of the highest crime rates in Latin America.
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Federal prosecutors have accused alleged gang members of supporting terrorism and narco-terrorism. They claim the group operated military-style training camps, acquired weapons like handguns, rifles, grenades, improvised explosive devices (‘IEDs’), and rocket launchers, and orchestrated acts of violence and murder in El Salvador, the United States, and other places, as stated in the indictment.
Jandres-Parada is among a group of twelve Ranfla Nacional leaders facing charges for various offenses. These include conspiring to provide and hide support and resources for terrorists, planning acts of terrorism that go beyond national borders, financing terrorism, and participating in narco-terrorism, according to the indictment.
Jandres-Parada, a member of the Ranfla Nacional, is accused of overseeing the operations of MS-13, including authorizing violent crimes such as murders, assaults, kidnappings, extortion, and drug trafficking, according to prosecutors.
According to inmate records, Jandres-Parada is currently detained at the federal jail in San Diego. He will soon be transferred to federal custody in New York, where he faces charges, to await trial.
CNN has contacted the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York to get their comment.
The MS-13 gang was formed in the 1980s in the United States by Central American immigrants in Southern California, as stated in Jandres-Parada’s 2020 indictment.
A 2008 FBI Threat Assessment reported that MS-13 members have committed horrific acts such as severing the fingers of rivals with machetes, brutally killing suspected informants, and committing rapes, assaults, and other crimes.
FILE - In this Nov.24, 2005 file photo shows unidentified members of the gang Mara Salvatrucha who are incarcerated in the National Penitentiary of Tamara, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The deadliest prison blaze in a century has drawn attention to an unfortunate U.S. export to Central America, street gangs. Prisons in Honduras and elsewhere in Central America are teeming with inmates who belong to gangs that have their roots in Southern California. Refugees of the regions civil wars sowed a new breed of violence on the streets of Los Angeles in the 1980s. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix,File)
In this Nov. 24, 2005 photo, unidentified members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang are shown incarcerated in the National Penitentiary of Tamara, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The deadliest prison fire in a century has brought attention to a troubling U.S. export to Central America - street gangs. Prisons in Honduras and other Central American countries are filled with inmates who are part of gangs that originated in Southern California.
These gangs were formed in the 1980s, when refugees from civil wars in the region brought a new level of violence to the streets of Los Angeles.
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Many of the members dispersed into local neighborhood groups or "cliques" as mentioned in the indictment. Later on, a significant number of them were deported to Central American countries where the MS-13 membership grew to tens of thousands.
After being deported, many of these members found their way back to the United States, often entering illegally. They reunited with MS-13 cliques that had now spread to numerous states including New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas, California, and Nevada, according to the indictment.
In 2017, in New York, a group of people believed to be part of MS-13 were accused of committing crimes. They were charged with seven murders that took place on Long Island over a period of three years. Among the victims were three high school students who lost their lives in 2016. This information was provided by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Editor's P/S:
The arrest of Freddy Ivan Jandres-Parada, a high-ranking leader of MS-13, is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to combat this notorious criminal organization. The charges against Jandres-Parada, including terrorism and narco-terrorism, underscore the gravity of MS-13's activities and the transnational nature of its operations. The fact that Jandres-Parada was able to evade capture for four years despite being on the FBI's Most Wanted list highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in dismantling such well-established and elusive criminal networks.
The article also sheds light on the broader issue of gang violence in Central America and its connections to the United States. The formation of MS-13 in Southern California and its subsequent spread to other parts of the US and Central America is a testament to the complex and interconnected nature of crime. The deportation of MS-13 members to their countries of origin has only exacerbated the problem, leading to increased gang activity and violence in those countries. The transfer of 2,000 detainees to the Terrorist Confinement Centre in El Salvador is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by governments in addressing the root causes of gang violence and protecting their citizens from its devastating consequences.
