NEW YORK—On April 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the April 1 arrest of Joel Vargas-Escobar, also known as, Momia, who is a leader in Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13 who is reportedly responsible for 11 known murders. Momia translates to Mummy in English.
According to a press release by the DOJ, Vargas-Escobar at one time operated out of California and Nevada. He stands accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and torture of 11 people before murdering them in remote areas such as the desert and mountains.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi made the following statement regarding the arrest of Vargas-Escobar:
“The American people are safer following the arrest of yet another MS-13 leader thanks to the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Vulcan.
This terrorist entered our country illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will not rest until this terrorist organization is completely dismantled and its members are behind bars.”
FBI Director Kash Patel issued the following remarks:
“The arrest of yet another violent and dangerous MS-13 leader is a major win for our FBI agents, law enforcement partners, and safer American streets. Our agents and analysts are continuously coordinating across multiple field offices and investigating with our valued partners to keep this work going, and we will not stop until that work is done.”
The following information came directly from the press release. The full text of which may be found on the DOJ webpage.
“Vargas-Escobar was the alleged leader of the Parkview clique of MS-13 in Las Vegas and personally ordered two of the charged murders. He was deported to El Salvador in 2018 but illegally re-entered the country.”
Vargas-Escobar appeared before the U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Central Islip. He was ordered detained and will be transferred to Nevada for trial. If convicted he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
The arrest operation was coordinated by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division in Washington D.C, with assistance from FBI, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York field offices, The Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Nevada, and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
