The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) recently announced the apprehension of Freddy Ivan Jandres-Parada, 48, a reported leader of a dangerous street gang.
U.S. authorities had placed a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the El Salvadorian national known in his circles as “Lucky de Park View.”
The FBI had been searching for the MS-13 gang leader since the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York indicted him in December 2020, according to CNN.
Authorities caught up with Jandres-Parada in San Diego, California. He reportedly refused bail and is currently held at a federal incarceration facility in San Diego. Federal authorities will transfer him to a facility in New York soon, the New York Post reported.
The New York Post referred to the gang leader as “one of FBI’s most wanted.”
Senior MS-13 gang leader, one of FBI’s most wanted, arrested on southern border https://t.co/9elCyKohtV pic.twitter.com/6DFPuV0LFg
— New York Post (@nypost) March 22, 2024
MS-13, also known as “La Mara Salvatrucha, is an international criminal organization. It originated in Los Angeles after migrants from Central America took control of several street gangs in the 1980s.
The gang is known for extreme violence and was recently implicated in brutal machete slaughters. Jandres-Parada served as a member of the syndicate’s board, the Ranfla Nacional. The FBI posted on their website: “He is alleged to be among the most senior leaders of MS-13 worldwide.”
In an interview with Insider, Alex Sanchez, one of the founding gang members and a former high-ranking member in the MS-13 group in the 1980s, detailed how the violent gang operated.
The FBI’s arrest statement read: “Freddy Ivan Jandres-Parada is wanted for his alleged involvement in the direction of MS-13 activity in the United States, Mexico, and El Salvador.”
The bureau added: “Jandres-Parada has been charged with several terrorism offenses for his alleged role in ordering numerous acts of violence against civilians, law enforcement, and rival gang members, as well as drug distribution and extortion schemes worldwide.”
Authorities believe the MS-13 gang is actively involved in terrorist activities and the trafficking of narcotics. The Daily Caller reported the gang coordinates “military-style training camps” to train their members.
The 31-page indictment noted the game has multiple weapons at their disposal, including “handguns, rifles, grenades, improvised explosive devices (‘IEDs’) and rocket launchers.”
