Suspected MS-13 gang member charged with five murders in El Salvador arrested in Virginia

MS-13 Suspect Arrested in Virginia

A man thought to be an MS-13 member, accused of murdering five rivals in El Salvador, has been apprehended by ICE in Virginia. A source from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed this.

Edwin Antonio Hernandez, also called “Demente” or “Crazy,” was taken into custody by federal agents in Alexandria on December 31. His arrest followed a complaint to ICE from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding his illegal presence in the country.

The 27-year-old entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2015 and allegedly admitted to involvement in five violent murders of 18th Street gang members in El Salvador. Disturbingly, one victim was said to have been alive during his dismemberment.

According to federal investigators, in two particularly gruesome killings, Hernandez and other gang members shot their targets in the chest and head. In another case, he reportedly recounted how MS-13 tortured an enemy, stabbing him twice and then dismembering him while he was still breathing.

The 18th Street Gang, also known as Barrio 18, is recognized as one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Central America. MS-13 was designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year.

Documents obtained from USCICS specify that Hernandez crossed the border illegally near Hidalgo, Texas, in June 2015.

Interestingly, this arrest comes on the heels of Virginia’s new governor, Abigail Spanberger, signing an executive order just after taking office. This order repeals a previous requirement that local law enforcement cooperate with federal immigration agents.