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Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, 47, was taken into custody in San Diego, California, on Tuesday, March 18, after Mexican authorities located him in Veracruz and expelled him from the country, the US Attorney’s Office said. He had been a fugitive for nearly three years.
Roman-Bardales, a founding member of MS-13’s leadership structure known as Ranfla en las Calles, was arraigned in the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday, March 19. He faces charges including racketeering conspiracy, providing material support to terrorists, narco-terrorism, and alien smuggling conspiracy.
Prosecutors allege that Roman-Bardales played a critical role in directing MS-13’s violent activities across the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and beyond for more than 20 years.
He allegedly oversaw the gang’s “Western Zone” operations in El Salvador and helped establish its foothold in Mexico by forging alliances with drug cartels, engaging in narcotics and weapons trafficking, and orchestrating kidnappings and extortion, prosecutors said.
Under his leadership, MS-13 engaged in terrorist tactics such as using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and grenades, operating military-style training camps, and targeting government and law enforcement officials in El Salvador, prosecutors said.
His faction of the gang also allegedly authorized violent attacks in the US, including murders, assaults, and other crimes as part of its efforts to expand control.
“MS-13 is a terrorist organization, and this case reflects the Department of Justice’s ironclad commitment to putting terrorists behind bars,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Members of MS-13 and similar groups should live in fear knowing that we will hunt them down, prosecute them, and deliver swift American justice for their heinous crimes.”
US Attorney John Durham called Roman-Bardales’ arrest a “momentous step in the dismantling of this evil criminal enterprise” and that he will be held accountable in a Long Island courtroom, where MS-13’s violence has left a devastating impact.
If convicted, Roman-Bardales faces life in prison or the possibility of the death penalty. He was detained pending trial in Central Islip federal court.
The Eastern District of New York has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 members for more than 80 murders in the region since 2009.
Roman-Bardales’ group coordinated with the gang’s factions in Mexico to smuggle drugs, traffic weapons, and even kill migrants attempting to flee MS-13 rule, according to investigators.
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