(The Center Square) – A newly formed Virginia task force has arrested 247 individuals in its first two weeks as part of a broader effort to dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that operate across the commonwealth.
The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force launched on March 3 as part of an interagency effort led by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, bringing together federal, state and local agencies to combat international criminal networks engaged in drug trafficking, human smuggling, firearms trafficking and violent crime.
"TCOs destabilize local communities and fuel violence by engaging in drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, human trafficking, assault, kidnapping, murder, and extortion," said the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The large number of arrests includes gang affiliates, with 18 linked to MS-13, six to Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and 12 tied to other TCOs. The operation is part of Operation Take Back America, a federal push to combat the effects of illegal immigration on crime—one of the key issues in President Trump's campaign.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares voiced his support on X, stating, "These aren't U.S. citizens—they're violent criminals who exploited Biden's border failures to terrorize Americans."
The VHSTF is working under new federal policies that allow law enforcement to target gang leaders, intermediaries and street-level offenders.
The State Department's foreign terrorist designations enable officials to pursue members of certain groups like MS-13 and the Sinaloa Cartel under stricter laws, including those of terrorism and racketeering charges.
The arrests come as the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to begin deporting Tren de Aragua members, officially designating the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, according to Secretary Marco Rubio.
The interagency group includes hundreds of personnel with representatives from:
- U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- FBI's Washington, Norfolk, and Richmond Field Offices
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- U.S. Marshals Service; Virginia Department of Corrections
- Virginia Office of the Attorney General
- Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security
- Virginia State Police
- Washington/Baltimore High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force
The arrests come shortly after Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order directing state law enforcement and corrections officers to assist with federal immigration enforcement, highlighting that “Virginia is not a sanctuary state.”
