Feds on Long Island quietly drop high-profile MS-13 cases, reports say

Federal prosecutors on Long Island quietly dropped major terrorism and racketeering cases against two top MS-13 leaders — Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios and Vladimir Antonio Arevalo-Chavez — in a move that surprised defense attorneys and prompted speculation, according to a Newsday report.

The two men, who prosecutors once accused of orchestrating murders, kidnappings and narco-terrorism across the U.S., including dozens of killings on Long Island, had been indicted to great fanfare in 2023 and 2024. But court filings later revealed that the Justice Department asked for the charges to be dropped due to “geopolitical and national security concerns,” Newsday reported.

Reporting from The New York Times has explored whether the dropped charges may be connected to broader diplomatic discussions with El Salvador. Those reports suggest that El Salvador’s leadership may have advocated for the return of certain MS-13 figures as part of efforts to reduce gang violence and strengthen internal political support.

Prosecutors filed their request to drop the charges under seal, citing sensitive operational concerns and diplomatic considerations as they moved to deport Lopez-Larios to El Salvador. His attorney declined to comment.

Arevalo-Chavez’s legal team, however, continues to fight the government’s effort to deport him, arguing he faces likely torture or death in Salvadoran custody, Newsday reported.

The Justice Department has not publicly confirmed the existence of a political deal. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment for the story.

Click here for Newsday’s full report on the about-face in the MS-13 cases.

_{Top photo: The Alfonse M. D’Amato U.S. Courthouse in Central Islip (Google Maps).}