MS-13 Leader Arrested After Nearly Four Years as Fugitive

Joel Vargas-Escobar, charged with 11 murders and racketeering, awaits transfer to Nevada for trial following his capture in New York.

Joel Vargas-Escobar, leader of MS-13's Parkview clique, was arrested in New York after evading capture for nearly four years.
He faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of murder-in-aid of racketeering, and firearms violations, with a mandatory life sentence if convicted.
Vargas-Escobar is accused of orchestrating 11 murders, including two he personally ordered, with victims tortured and killed in remote locations in Nevada and California.
His arrest is part of Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative targeting transnational criminal organizations like MS-13.
The operation involved coordination among the FBI, Joint Task Force Vulcan, and multiple federal agencies to disrupt MS-13's violent activities.