ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A documented member of the violent MS-13 street gang wanted in El Salvador for charges including extortion, blackmail, and terrorist affiliation was arrested in Virginia by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and its federal and state law enforcement partners.
Key Points
- MS-13 gang member Silvia Lorena Bonilla-De Jandres, 40, arrested in Alexandria, Va.
- Wanted in El Salvador for aggravated extortion, blackmail, and terrorist ties
- ICE, FBI, DEA, and Virginia State Police worked jointly in the February 25 arrest
Silvia Lorena Bonilla-De Jandres, 40, an illegal Salvadoran national, was taken into custody on February 25 in Alexandria by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents from Washington, D.C., in coordination with the FBI, DEA, and Virginia State Police. She is wanted in El Salvador for multiple felony charges stemming from her affiliation with the transnational criminal organization MS-13.
“Silvia Lorena Bonilla-De Jandres is not only the member of a transnational criminal enterprise… she has also apparently attempted to flee justice in her home country,” said Russ Hott, ICE Field Office Director in Washington, D.C.
Bonilla had entered the U.S. illegally through Rio Grande Valley, Texas, on February 21, 2016. She was placed into removal proceedings by U.S. Border Patrol. Authorities in El Salvador issued a warrant for her arrest on August 28, 2017. Interpol followed with a red notice on November 24, 2017.
Fugitive tracked down in Northern Virginia
Law enforcement said Bonilla had been evading international authorities for several years before being located and arrested in Northern Virginia. The operation involved interagency coordination and intelligence support from multiple federal offices.
ICE officials stated the arrest reflects a broader effort to prevent individuals linked to violent organizations from using the United States as a refuge.
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Bonilla is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. No additional charges in the U.S. were announced.