Mexican security forces have apprehended Francisco Javier Román-Bardales, a high-ranking member of the MS-13 criminal organization and a fugitive on the U.S. most-wanted list. The arrest occurred on a rural highway in Veracruz state following a tip-off about his movements.
Román-Bardales, a 47-year-old Salvadoran national known by the alias “El Veterano,” now faces extradition to the United States. U.S. authorities had charged him with terrorism support, narcotics trafficking, racketeering, and alien smuggling. The FBI had sought his capture since 2022, offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
The MS-13 gang, which originated in the 1980s, is recognized as one of the most violent criminal networks in the Americas. The current U.S. administration recently designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization, alongside other major cartels.
This operation follows a series of recent crackdowns. Just last week, Mexican officials detained another MS-13 member wanted by both El Salvador and the United States. Additionally, an alleged gang leader from Guatemala was recently extradited to face U.S. racketeering charges.
In a related development, the U.S. government deported over 250 individuals—including suspected MS-13 members—to El Salvador, bypassing court orders. El Salvador’s president confirmed the detainees would be held in a special confinement facility for at least one year, under an agreement with Washington.