Whistleblower Fears Emerge as Trump Admin Seeks to Silence MS-13 Leader

Concerns about silencing potential whistleblowers are mounting as the Trump administration attempts to dismiss charges against Vladimir Antonio Arevalo-Chavez, a top MS-13 figure, to deport him to El Salvador. This controversial move, revealed in unsealed court documents, is seen by critics and legal experts as a deliberate effort to keep secret details of a 2019 pact between Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s government and the violent gang from surfacing in a US court.
Arevalo-Chavez, who faces serious federal charges, possesses intimate knowledge of this alleged “shadowy pact,” which involved the exchange of government concessions for reduced gang violence and political support. The Justice Department’s justification of “geopolitical and national security concerns” for the dismissal is being questioned, with many believing it’s a pretext to protect Bukele. This mirrors a prior incident in March where another MS-13 leader, also with knowledge of the pact, was quietly deported after his charges were dropped, fueling suspicions of a coordinated effort between the US and Salvadoran governments to prevent damaging disclosures.