On Monday, authorities arrested a notorious El Salvadoran gang member and fugitive at one of Texas’s busiest airports, facing a string of terrorism-related charges.
Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations agents apprehended Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, a prominent figurehead of the notorious El Salvadoran gang, La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on June 9.
According to the EDNY indictment, Lopez-Larios, who is also known as “Grenas de Stoners” and “Oso de Stoners,” had been a fugitive for over three years. He held a prominent position as one of MS-13’s top enforcers in its Ranfla Nacional command structure and was an original member of the Twelve Apostles of the Devil.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), who is responsible for prosecuting high-ranking gang members that have created war zones and spilled blood in communities thousands of miles away from the border, was granted custody of him by a federal judge the following day.
Law enforcement agencies across multiple states collaborated to prevent criminal activity associated with cartels, ultimately leading to the high-profile arrest.
Lopez-Larios faces serious charges, including conspiracy to offer and hide support for terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism that go beyond national borders, conspiracy to fund terrorism, and conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism. If he is found guilty, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the capture of Lopez-Larios, a prominent figurehead of the MS-13 gang worldwide, is a major triumph for law enforcement agencies. This is yet another crucial step towards disbanding this global criminal organization. The defendant will soon be held accountable for his actions in a federal courtroom on Long Island. This is the very same location where, under his direction, MS-13 has caused severe havoc and turned communities into conflict zones, resulting in countless fatalities.
The indictment and court documents reveal that Lopez-Larios and his accomplices were in charge of MS-13’s command and control structure. This included the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales, all of which operate in various locations across El Salvador, Mexico, the U.S., and around the globe.
Roughly 22 years ago, Lopez-Larios, along with his co-defendants and other MS-13 leaders, established a well-organized hierarchical command and control structure to enforce their orders, even from inside prison. Investigators believe that through this structure, they directed violent acts and murders in El Salvador, the United States, and other places. Furthermore, they also set up military-style training camps for MS-13 members and procured military weapons like rifles, handguns, grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and rocket launchers.
Around 2012, Lopez-Larios and his associates from the Ranfla Nacional initiated talks with El Salvador’s government officials to secure “benefits and concessions from the government.” This was after MS-13 gang members carried out public acts of violence to intimidate civilians, target law enforcement and military officials, and influence the electoral process in the country.
According to the indictment, the Ranfla Nacional, which is believed to be responsible for the worldwide expansion of MS-13, also played a significant role in the organization’s operations in the U.S. and Mexico. Lopez-Larios, along with other high-ranking leaders, was sent to these locations to establish connections, obtain narcotics and firearms from powerful Mexican drug cartels such as the Zetas, Gulf Cartel, CJNG, and Sinaloa Cartel, and engage in human trafficking and smuggling.
According to the indictment, they have established their presence in various regions across the country, including the EDNY, where they have been involved in heinous crimes such as murders, attempted murders, assaults, kidnappings, drug trafficking, extortion of individuals and businesses, and obstruction of justice.
According to investigators, the criminal group sent the profits from their unlawful activities to leaders of the MS-13 gang in El Salvador via wire transfer. The Long Island Criminal Division of the EDNY has successfully prosecuted numerous MS-13 leaders, members, and associates for committing over 70 murders since 2009.
To date, the EDNY has pressed charges against 27 of the top leaders of MS-13 for various violent offenses. One case, United States v. Arevalo-Chavez, involves two suspects, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz (“Cruger de Peatonales”) and Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales (“Veterano de Tribus”), who are still on the run.
If you have any knowledge about De La Cruz and Roman-Bardales, the FBI urges you to contact their toll-free MS-13 tip line at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713) or HSI’s tip line at (866) 347-2423 or ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form. To encourage people to come forward, the FBI and HSI have offered a $20,000 reward for any information that can lead to their arrest and conviction.