Secret Deals and Silenced Witnesses: Trump and Bukele Accused of MS-13 Cover-Up

Explosive court documents have surfaced, revealing that the Trump administration is attempting to drop federal charges against Vladimir Antonio Arevalo-Chavez, a top MS-13 leader, to facilitate his deportation to El Salvador. Legal experts and critics say this is a calculated move to prevent Arevalo-Chavez from testifying about a covert 2019 agreement between President Nayib Bukele’s government and MS-13.
The alleged deal saw Bukele’s administration providing funds and territory to the gang in return for a reduction in violence and electoral backing. The controversy is compounded by revelations of a broader arrangement allowing the US to house immigrants in El Salvador’s Cecot prison.
Political scientist Michael Ahn Paarlberg described the situation as “collusion between two governments to cover up a gang pact.” Arevalo-Chavez, who faces charges of racketeering and terrorism, could expose damaging details about Bukele’s ties to MS-13. The Justice Department’s rationale for dismissing the case—citing foreign policy and national security—has only intensified suspicions.
This is not the first time: another MS-13 leader, Cesar Humberto López-Larios, was similarly deported after charges were dropped earlier this year.