Feds drop charges against Virginia man accused of leading MS-13 gang

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WRIC) -- Federal prosecutors have dropped charges against a 24-year-old Virginia man who was previously accused of being an MS-13 gang leader.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion the week of April 7 to dismiss the case against Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. He had been in custody since his arrest in Dale City by federal agents on March 27.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin and officials with the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had publicly claimed Villatoro Santos was overseeing East Coast operations for MS-13.

However, few details supporting those claims were made public and the government is now moving forward with efforts to deport him.

According to ICE officials, Villatoro Santos is currently in the process of being removed from the United States. His attorneys filed a motion asking a federal judge to delay a final deportation order by 14 days.

Villatoro Santos, who entered the U.S. illegally as a teenager in 2014, was initially detained at the Texas-Mexico border before being released to his mother in Manassas, according to ICE. He later received legal work authorization, which was revoked in 2023 for unspecified reasons.

His arrest was praised by elected officials, who cited it as part of a broader crackdown on gang-related activity. However, the abrupt dismissal of federal charges and the ongoing legal dispute over his removal have raised concerns among immigrant rights advocates.

Villatoro Santos remains in custody pending further decisions on his deportation.