SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER LEONEL VARGAS JR. ARRESTED IN NASHVILLE AFTER YEAR-LONG MANHUNT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A suspected MS-13 gang member with a violent criminal history has been apprehended in Nashville, Tennessee, after evading law enforcement for over a year, authorities confirmed. Leonel Vargas Jr., 24, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) in coordination with federal agents.

Vargas Jr. faces multiple charges, including felony aggravated assault by strangulation, felony aggravated burglary, felony probation violation, misdemeanor domestic assault, and two counts of misdemeanor theft of property. He is currently being held without bond at the Davidson County Jail.

The arrest was the result of a joint operation between MNPD’s Specialized Investigations Division (SID) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Both agencies have been investigating Vargas Jr.’s alleged ties to the notorious Salvadoran MS-13 gang, known for its extreme violence and criminal activities. The ATF confirmed to Fox News Digital that their investigation into his gang affiliations remains ongoing.

Vargas Jr.’s criminal history dates back to 2019, when he was charged with aggravated assault by strangulation, domestic assault resulting in bodily injury, and domestic assault with fear of bodily injury. He was sentenced to probation for these offenses but violated the terms in 2022, leading to a one-year prison sentence and supervised release. In the same year, a 2021 case involving felony evading arrest by motor vehicle and reckless endangerment was reopened, resulting in a guilty verdict and an additional two years of supervised release in 2023.

Last year, Vargas Jr. was charged with felony domestic aggravated assault, burglary, and theft, prompting a manhunt that culminated in his arrest this week.

The arrest comes amid heightened attention on MS-13’s activities in the United States. Earlier this week, FBI Director Kash Patel announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of the gang’s leader in Honduras, Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías. Additionally, another alleged MS-13 member, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was recently deported to El Salvador after being suspected of involvement in labor and human trafficking, according to a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) report obtained by Fox News.

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