A controversial move by the Trump administration to dismiss criminal charges against a high-ranking MS-13 leader, Vladimir Antonio Arevalo-Chavez, has ignited a firestorm of accusations. The aim, according to unsealed court records, was to deport him to El salvador. Critics and Arevalo-Chavez’s legal team allege that former President Donald Trump was attempting to curry favor with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who had previously struck a deal with the gang in 2019.

The Alleged Bukele-MS-13 Pact

Justice Department records indicate that Arevalo-Chavez possesses critical knowledge of a clandestine agreement between Bukele’s goverment and MS-13. This pact reportedly involved the Salvadoran government providing money and territory to the gang in exchange for reduced violence and electoral support for Bukele’s party.

Trump’s Deal with Bukele

The Trump administration’s efforts to deport Arevalo-chavez are reportedly linked to a separate agreement with Bukele. This deal would allow the U.S. to incarcerate immigrants in a maximum-security Salvadoran prison. Cnn reported in april that Bukele’s government specifically requested the return of nine top MS-13 leaders from the U.S.

Critics Allege Cover-Up

Defenders of Arevalo-Chavez view the deportation attempt as a means to prevent him from testifying in a U.S. court or becoming a federal government cooperator. The goal, they claim, is to limit disclosures about Bukele’s past connections to the gang.

Arevalo-Chavez’s Criminal Charges

Arevalo-Chavez is allegedly a member of the “Ranfla Nacional,” considered MS-13’s leadership board. He faces federal charges in New York, including racketeering, terrorism, and conspiring to commit narco-terrorism.

Justice Department’s Rationale

A Justice Department filing, dated April 1 but unsealed recently, stated that federal prosecutors seek to dismiss charges against Arevalo-Chavez due to sensitive and crucial foreign policy considerations. Prosecutors cited geopolitical and national security concerns of the United States and the desire to permit the prosecution of the defendant to proceed in the first instance in El Salvador as factors.

Legal Battles and Allegations of Collusion

Arevalo-Chavez remains in the U.S., with his attorneys seeking more data about the dismissal of charges and the intended deportation. A judge ruled in April against relocating him into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice),which would facilitate his deportation.

The ‘geopolitical and national security concerns’ appear to be an effort by the government to support a ‘deal’ with El Salvador to assist Bukele in suppressing the truth about a secret negotiation he had with MS-13 leaders in return for our government using El Salvador prisons.

Arevalo-Chavez’s attorneys

The filing specifically mentioned the Cecot prison, built to house alleged gang members.

Echoes of a Similar Case

In mid-March, the justice department quietly dismissed charges against another top Ranfla Nacional member, Cesar Humberto López-Larios, and expelled him to El Salvador to be detained at Cecot.López-Larios faced similar charges in New york and reportedly had insight into Bukele’s deal with MS-13.

This is collusion between two governments, the US and El Salvador, to cover up a gang pact by dropping charges on known gangsters in order to disappear them before they can testify. It’s a criminal conspiracy between the Trump and Bukele administrations.

Michael Ahn Paarlberg, political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University

Paarlberg added, The irony is both of them claim to be tough on crime.

The 2019 Pact Details

According to a Justice Department indictment, in 2019, MS-13 leadership forged a pact with top Bukele administration officials. El Faro, a Salvadoran news organization, first reported on secretive meetings where Bukele officials entered prisons to negotiate directly with Ranfla leaders.

As part of the deal, MS-13 would receive money and land concessions in exchange for reducing violence and supporting Bukele’s political party in the 2021 legislative elections. Some top MS-13 leaders were also released from prison.

The Crackdown and Its Aftermath

The pact purportedly collapsed in 2022, leading Bukele to launch a massive offensive against gangs. Critics argue that this crackdown led to a trampling of due process and human rights, while also allowing Bukele to consolidate power.

bukele’s Efforts to Suppress Evidence

For years, Bukele has allegedly attempted to suppress any evidence of his ties to MS-13 by attempting to recapture Ranfla leaders or ignoring U.S. extradition requests.

US Law Enforcement’s Pursuit of MS-13

U.S. federal law enforcement agencies have long pursued MS-13’s criminal networks. In 2020 and 2022, separate federal indictments in New York charged 27 leaders of the gang.

US Treasury Sanctions

In 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned two top Bukele officials for alleged corruption, stating they engaged in covert negotiations between government officials and the criminal organization to secure the secret pact with MS-13. The Treasury Department also alleged that Bukele’s administration provided financial incentives to MS-13 to reduce gang violence in exchange for political support.

Arevalo-Chavez’s Role and Capture

Arevalo-Chavez, a co-defendant in the 2022 indictment, had participated in negotiations with the government of El Salvador on behalf of MS-13, according to the Justice Department. He left El Salvador for Mexico, where he helped run the gang’s operations. The Mexican government arrested Arevalo-Chavez in February 2023 and transferred him to the U.S., where the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) took custody.

Strained Relations and Recaptured Leaders

Relations between El Salvador and the U.S.have seen fluctuations. In 2021, tensions flared when Salvadoran officials released Ranfla Nacional leader Elmer Canales-Rivera from prison, despite an international arrest warrant and extradition request. U.S. prosecutors alleged he was escorted out of prison by a high-level Bukele official,given a firearm,and driven to the Guatemalan border.

The Bukele administration then attempted to recapture Canales-Rivera, reportedly discussing a plan to pay a Mexican cartel to find him and return him to El Salvador. The Mexican government found him first, arrested him, and expelled him to the U.S. in november 2023.

current Status

Eight Ranfla Nacional leaders remained in U.S.custody after López-Larios was expelled in march. Two of them pleaded guilty earlier this year.