Long Island, NY – After four years on the run, a high-ranking MS-13 gang leader accused of orchestrating nearly a dozen murders was arrested in Westbury, Nassau County, on Tuesday night, federal officials announced.

Joel Vargas-Escobar, known as “Momia,” was taken into custody by FBI agents for his alleged involvement in 11 killings across Nevada and California. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada confirmed his arrest on Wednesday.

Vargas-Escobar, a native of El Salvador in the U.S. illegally, is believed to have led the Parkview clique, a Las Vegas-based faction of the notorious MS-13 gang. Prosecutors say he ordered at least two of the 11 murders in 2017.

His capture comes as part of the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on gangs and undocumented criminals. The Justice Department has classified MS-13 and Tren de Aragua as terrorist organizations.

“This terrorist entered our country illegally and is accused of orchestrating 11 murders — under President Trump’s leadership, we will not rest until this terrorist organization is completely dismantled and its members are behind bars,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Wednesday.

Vargas-Escobar was deported in 2018 but unlawfully reentered the U.S. shortly after. He had been a fugitive ever since. His arrest was the result of a multi-agency effort involving the FBI and the Justice Department.

“The arrest of yet another violent and dangerous MS-13 leader is a major win for our FBI agents, law enforcement partners, and safer American streets,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “Our agents and analysts are continuously coordinating across multiple field offices and investigating with our valued partners to keep this work going — and we will not stop until that work is done.”

The suspect faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of murder-in-aid of racketeering, and related firearms offenses. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence.

Vargas-Escobar has been ordered detained and will be transferred to Nevada, where he was indicted in 2021 and will stand trial.