Trump and Bukele Accused of Backroom Deal to Shield Gang Leaders from U.S. Justice

The Trump administration is under fire for allegedly trying to suppress key testimony by dismissing charges against MS-13 boss Vladimir Arevalo-Chavez. Legal documents unsealed this week reveal that federal prosecutors are pushing to deport him to El Salvador instead of prosecuting him in U.S. courts.
Arevalo-Chavez, who holds a top seat on MS-13’s ruling board—the Ranfla Nacional—has critical knowledge of a secret 2019 deal struck between Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and MS-13 leaders. That deal allegedly included money and land in return for a drop in violence and gang support during elections.
Experts warn this deportation effort is part of a broader U.S.-El Salvador agreement to house immigrants in Bukele’s Cecot prison. Critics argue it’s also an attempt to keep Arevalo-Chavez from testifying against Bukele’s government.
The DOJ cited “geopolitical and national security concerns” in its motion to dismiss charges—a move seen by some as placing foreign alliances above justice.