An alleged MS-13 gang member who reportedly admitted to committing five murders in El Salvador was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Virginia, according to Department of Homeland Security sources. The arrest of Edwin Antonio Hernandez Hernandez, 27, comes at a very interesting moment—just weeks after newly sworn-in Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed an executive order ending mandatory cooperation between local and state law enforcement and ICE. Timing, as always, is everything.
Sources told Fox News Digital that Hernandez claimed involvement in five murders in El Salvador and is an MS-13 gang member known by the aliases “Demente” and “Crazy.” In two of those killings, he allegedly shot members of the rival 18th Street gang in the chest and head. That gang, also known as Barrio 18, was designated last year by the U.S. State Department as both a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist group. So yes, we’re talking about real criminals, not parking-ticket offenders.
In another case, Hernandez allegedly said MS-13 was torturing an 18th Street gang member when he stabbed the victim twice in the chest before the gang dismembered him while he was still alive. That’s not “misunderstood youth”—that’s cartel-style brutality.
A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services report obtained by Fox News Digital states Hernandez entered the United States illegally near Hidalgo, Texas, in June 2015. He was arrested by Border Patrol but later released while immigration court proceedings were underway. Because, of course, that worked out perfectly.
ICE took Hernandez back into custody on Dec. 31 in Alexandria, Virginia, for remaining in the U.S. without a valid visa and for illegal entry. DHS sources said the arrest happened after USCIS referred him to ICE, proving once again that when agencies are allowed to work together, dangerous people can actually be removed from the streets.
Meanwhile, on her first day in office, Gov. Spanberger signed an executive order rescinding a previous policy that required and encouraged state and local law enforcement to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws. Her order stated that such cooperation diverted “limited resources” away from other priorities. Apparently, public safety is now considered optional.
This case shows exactly why President Trump’s hardline stance on border security and gang enforcement matters. MS-13 doesn’t care about sanctuary policies or political slogans—they exploit them. Thankfully, ICE still did its job and got a dangerous individual off the streets.
Despite the obstacles and political games, this arrest proves that strong enforcement still works when it’s allowed to work. One more violent criminal is in custody, and that’s one more step toward safer communities. That’s a win for law-abiding Americans—and a reminder that protecting citizens should always come before protecting bad policy.
