For nearly six years, Task Force Vulcan, a federal law enforcement team established by the previous administration, successfully focused on dismantling the leadership of the violent transnational street gang MS-13.
However, by spring, the task force was redirected to pursue seemingly contradictory objectives.
Agents and prosecutors were instructed to withdraw some charges against high-ranking MS-13 leaders while reallocating resources to prosecute a defendant with weaker ties to the gang, whose case had become a political issue for the administration.
In late April, Vulcan prosecutors were engaged in a legal battle to dismiss charges against MS-13 leader Vladimir Arévalo Chávez, who faced serious allegations, including multiple murders. The aim was to release him from U.S. custody and return him to El Salvador.
Simultaneously, the Vulcan team was building a case against Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident accused of gang affiliation who had been wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Prosecutors sought to bring him back to the U.S. to face charges of smuggling undocumented immigrants.
This dual approach was unusual, as the task force unraveled indictments against senior MS-13 members while constructing a case against Abrego Garcia, who was characterized as a midlevel gang functionary.
The conflicting actions reflected how federal law enforcement sometimes aligned with the shifting political agenda of the administration. A former federal prosecutor noted that typically, law enforcement aims to deport individuals posing a lesser threat while imprisoning those who have caused significant harm, which was not the case here.
An investigation revealed that Vulcan prosecutors began dismissing charges against MS-13 leadership shortly after a deal was struck with the president of El Salvador, who agreed to accept over 200 expelled migrants in exchange for financial compensation and the return of key MS-13 leaders in U.S. custody.
The indictment of Abrego Garcia held different political significance for the administration, providing a way to avoid a legal conflict regarding his release from Salvadoran custody while showcasing a commitment to law enforcement.
Notably, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador on the same flights as MS-13 leader César Humberto López Larios, whose charges were dismissed. However, their deportations were based on different justifications.
Prosecutors cited national security concerns for López, while Abrego Garcia's deportation was attributed to an administrative error, despite a court order prohibiting his return due to potential persecution.
Two months ago, Arévalo's lawyers contested the dismissal of his charges and his potential deportation, suggesting it was linked to an arrangement between the U.S. and El Salvador. This coincided with the initiation of the investigation into Abrego Garcia, which had begun shortly before.
Details surrounding the origins of the Abrego Garcia case remain unclear, although several government filings have been signed by the task force's co-directors. The Attorney General publicly acknowledged the work of Vulcan prosecutors during the announcement of charges against Abrego Garcia.