Violent suspected MS-13 gang member with long rap sheet arrested after year on the run: police

A suspected MS-13 pack subordinate with a convulsive transgression past has been arrested successful Nashville, Tennessee, aft a twelvemonth connected the run, constabulary said.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), Leonel Vargas Jr., 24, was arrested Wednesday afternoon. 

Davidson County jailhouse records amusement that helium has been charged with felony aggravated battle by strangulation, felony aggravated burglary, felony probation violation, misdemeanor home battle and 2 counts of misdemeanor theft of property. 

Mugshot of Leonel Vargas Jr. (Metro Nashville Police Department)

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He is not eligible for bond.

MNPD said its Specialized Investigations Division (SID) detectives and national Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents, who person been investigating Vargas’ relation with the ultra-violent Salvadoran MS-13 gang, coordinated the surveillance that led to the arrest. 

ATF confirmed to Fox News Digital that their probe into Vargas' MS-13 ties is ongoing.

 risoners with MS-13 pack tattoos look retired of their compartment successful Tecoluca, El Salvador, connected March 26, 2025. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

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Vargas has a agelong transgression past stemming backmost to 2019. 

In that year, helium was charged with aggravated battle by strangulation, 2 counts of home battle resulting successful bodily wounded and 1 number of home battle with fearfulness of bodily injury. He was sentenced to probation for those crimes. 

In 2022, helium violated his probation and was sentenced to a twelvemonth successful prison, and a twelvemonth of supervised release. In the aforesaid year, a 2021 lawsuit for felony evading apprehension by centrifugal conveyance and reckless endangerment was reopened. 

An MS-13 pack subordinate gestures successful the Quezaltepeque constabulary presumption May 20, 2013, successful San Salvador, El Salvador. (Giles Clarke/Getty Images)

He was recovered blameworthy connected those charges successful 2023 and was sentenced to 2 years of supervised release. 

Last year, helium was charged with felony home aggravated assault, burglary and theft, and was connected the tally from constabulary until they arrested him connected Wednesday. 

Earlier this week, FBI Director Kash Patel announced a $5 cardinal bounty for accusation starring to the apprehension of MS-13's person successful Honduras, Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías. 

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In the United States, the pack has precocious been successful the quality aft 1 alleged member, amerciable migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was deported to El Salvador. 

He was suspected of being progressive successful labor/human trafficking, according to a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) study obtained by Fox News.