US drops case against man Bondi called a leader of MS-13 gang; will seek deportation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Wednesday that the government will seek to deport a man she previously called a leader of the MS-13 gang in the U.S., after prosecutors moved to drop a gun charge against him.

Prosecutors on Wednesday did not provide a reason for seeking to dismiss the case against Henry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, in a brief court filing. But Bondi said in a statement that Villatoro Santos "will now face the removal process."

In an unusual move, a lawyer for Villatoro Santos asked a judge to delay ruling on the government's motion for two weeks. The lawyer, Muhammad Elsayed, argued in a court filing that there is a danger, if the criminal case is dropped, that Villatoro Santos will be deported and jailed in El Salvador without due process.

Bondi announced the arrest of a person she called one of the gang's top three leaders in a March 27 press conference, without naming the defendant or detailing charges. Later that day, Villatoro Santos appeared in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, to face charges of illegal gun possession by an alien.

In court papers, federal prosecutors said law enforcement officials "observed indicia of MS-13 association" while searching Villatoro Santos's bedroom, after raiding his home and arresting him on an administrative immigration warrant. They made no other references to MS-13 and his alleged leadership role and brought no other criminal charges.

A federal judge previously ordered Villatoro Santos to remain in jail to await trial.

At her March 27 press conference, Bondi said the man arrested would not be "living in our country much longer."

(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone, Deepa Babington and Lincoln Fesat)