President Trump’s administration on Wednesday moved to drop criminal charges against an accused MS-13 leader in order to fast-track the man’s deportation, according to multiple reports.
Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos was nabbed March 27 in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Dale City, Va. His arrest came with much fanfare, as Attorney General Pam Bondi held a press conference and Trump celebrated it on social media.
Though authorities describe 24-year-old Villatoro Santos as one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the U.S., the Justice Department filed just a single weapons charge against him. On Wednesday, prosecutors filed to dismiss that charge.
Three sources told the Washington Post the decision was made to speed up Villatoro Santos’ deportation to El Salvador.
“As a terrorist, he will now face the removal process,” Bondi told Fox News.
An attorney for Villatoro Santos contested the dismissal request and asked a judge to pause it for two weeks, according to the Post. His lawyer said if the case was quickly dismissed, Villatoro Santos could face unlawful deportation by ICE.
According to the feds, Villatoro Santos illegally entered the U.S. in 2014 and has remained in the country ever since. During that time, he became a high-ranking member in MS-13 despite his young age, investigators said.
