WASHINGTON – More than 3,800 people in the U.S. and Central America who are members of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs have been charged in connection with a coordinated law enforcement operation called Operation Regional Shield, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday.
The defendants reside in the U.S., El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Officials said out of the 3,800 defendants, more than 70 have been charged in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Virginia.
Authorities said officers seized six firearms and charged 284 gang members in Guatemala; seized 14 businesses and 11 luxury vehicles and arrested 12 MS-13 money launderers in Honduras; and filed 3,477 criminal charges, resulting in more than 1,400 arrests in El Salvador.
The defendants are charged with various crimes, including but not limited to murder, racketeering, arson and assault.
Department of Justice officials said in a news release that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made dismantling transnational gangs, including MS-13, a top priority after President Donald Trump issued an executive order Feb. 9 on enforcing federal law with respect to transnational criminal organizations and preventing international trafficking to dismantle and eradicate transnational gangs threatening the safety of communities throughout the U.S.
Officials said Sessions met with his counterparts in Central America to develop strategies and plans to prosecute members of MS-13 and 18th Street.
"MS-13 is one of the most violent and ruthless gangs in America today, endangering communities in more than 40 states. But under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is taking them off our streets," Sessions said in a statement. "Today, we are announcing that our partnership with law enforcement in Central America, has yielded charges against more than 3,800 gang members just in the last six months."
The investigation into MS-13 in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras is being handled by regional gang prosecutors who receive State Department-funded training.
They also receive mentoring from the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training.
Officials said with the help of the U.S., the three Central American countries have convicted thousands of criminals and seized over $1 billion in illicit assets.