U.S. State Department Escalates Fight Against MS-13

The U.S. State Department has ramped up its efforts against transnational organized crime, announcing substantial rewards of up to $15 million for information leading to the capture of two senior leaders from the MS-13 gang.

This move is part of the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, focusing specifically on key figures of the gang operating out of Honduras.

According to State Department Spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, the reward for Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías, often referred to as “Porky,” has been raised to as much as $10 million.

At the same time, there is a separate reward of up to $5 million for tips about his associate, Víctor Eduardo Morales Zelaya, known as “Cuervo.” Both men are seen as the chief strategists behind MS-13’s criminal activities throughout Central America and into the U.S., according to federal prosecutors and intelligence officials.

Court documents present an extensive array of charges against both men, which include massive drug trafficking, money laundering, contract killings, kidnappings, and severe extortion. Authorities accuse Archaga Carías and Morales Zelaya of managing the logistics needed to bring large amounts of cocaine into U.S. neighborhoods.

Archaga Carías is already listed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, making him a high-priority target for the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations.

This intensified approach to law enforcement is being organized through the newly activated Homeland Security Task Force. This initiative, established under Executive Order 14159, is designed to dismantle international cartels, foreign gangs, and human smuggling networks that pose threats to national security.