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New task force launched in Virginia to eliminate transnational criminal organizations

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WAVY) — A new task force has been formed in Virginia to fight transnational organized crime throughout the state. On March 14, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia along with federal and state partners announced the recently established Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF), an interagency group founded to combat transnational organized crime and coordinate ongoing immigration enforcement efforts across Virginia. In the two weeks since it's creation on March 3, VHSTF members have arrested 223 individuals. The VHSTF is part of Operation Take Back America, which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that utilizes resources from the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Hundreds of personnel, both federal and state, are supporting the task force. The VHSTF is the first of these task forces. Task force members are building on existing partnerships and initiatives to enforce immigration laws and policies to dismantle TCOs. Task force members target TCO infrastructures utilizing the State Department's new foreign terrorist designations of various gangs. The leaders of these TCOs and cartels may be prosecuted for crimes such as terrorism, racketeering, continuing criminal enterprise offenses, violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. To date, the VHSTF has arrested four gang affiliates, including 18 Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) affiliates, six Tren de Aragua (TdA) affiliates and 12 individuals affiliated with other TCOs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.