Federal officials stated on Tuesday that a suspected leader of MS-13, identified as Gerson Emil Cuadra Soto, managed to obtain a California driver’s license using his real name. This comes after he allegedly collaborated with a death squad responsible for executing four individuals in Honduras, including a former president’s son.
Cuadra Soto, also known as “Fantasma,” entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2022. Reports suggest he escaped from a Honduran prison after bribing officials. However, his time on the run ended when federal agents apprehended him in Nebraska on Monday, according to the Justice Department.
In the criminal complaint, prosecutors indicated that the 33-year-old Honduran man was able to secure the license before his arrest, even providing a thumbprint that confirmed his identity as an international fugitive.
It’s currently unclear which California DMV office issued this license. Interestingly, just last month, California had revoked around 17,000 licenses amid concerns that undocumented immigrants were improperly receiving driving permits, particularly after an incident where an undocumented truck driver crashed into several cars, resulting in three fatalities.
A California law enacted in 2013 allows individuals to apply for a driver’s license without proof of immigration status, as long as they can verify their identity and residency, pass relevant tests, and show proof of insurance. It remains uncertain how Cuadra Soto met these requirements.
The report revealed that since the law was implemented in 2015, over a million illegal immigrants have been granted permission to drive in California. Efforts to confirm details about Cuadra Soto’s situation with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office are ongoing.
After being found living in an apartment in Grand Island, Nebraska, Cuadra Soto was charged in federal court for unlawfully entering the country.
Cuadra Soto is alleged to have been involved in a “professional death squad” that murdered four people in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on July 14, 2022, based on surveillance footage, police reports, and witness accounts. One victim was Said Lobo Bonilla, the son of former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa.
Four days post-murder, reports suggest that Cuadra Soto bribed officials with $125,000 to secure his release from prison, where he was initially held on firearm-related charges stemming from the killings.
Federal authorities have labeled him the leader of MS-13, designated as a terrorist organization during the Trump administration. Moreover, he is reportedly associated with Yulan Arcaga Carias, known as “Porky,” who is believed to be a significant figure in MS-13 operations in Honduras and is currently on the FBI’s most wanted list.
