The Justice Department revealed on Wednesday that a high-ranking member of the violent MS-13 gang was captured in Long Island due to his suspected involvement in nearly twelve murders.
Joel “Momia” Vargas-Escobar was the alleged leader of the “Parkview clique” of MS-13 operating out of the Las Vegas area, federal prosecutors said.
The Department of Justice seal is seen during a news conference at the DOJ office in Washington, May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Vargas-Escobar was deported to El Salvador in 2018 but illegally reentered the country and had been on the run for nearly four years, the DOJ said.
An indictment from the District of Nevada charges Vargas-Escobar and other alleged associates of the “Parkview clique” with the responsibility for 11 murders that occurred over a span of about a year in Nevada and California. According to the indictment, MS-13 members would abduct their victims and transport them to secluded areas in the mountains and deserts where they would be subjected to torture before being killed.
Prosecutors say Vargas-Escobar personally ordered at least two of the charged murders.
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks before President Donald Trump at the Justice Department in Washington, Friday, March 14, 2025. (POOL)
“The arrest of another MS-13 leader has enhanced the safety of the American people, all thanks to the collective efforts of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Vulcan,” stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi. She added, “This individual, who illegally entered our country, is accused of masterminding 11 murders. Under President Trump’s direction, we are committed to persisting until this terrorist group is entirely dismantled and all its members are placed behind bars.”
