An alleged MS-13 leader, suspected of directing a notorious assassination squad for the violent gang, was apprehended in Nebraska on Monday. His arrest is linked to the murder of the son of a former Honduran president, as confirmed by federal authorities.
The suspect, 33-year-old Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, known by the alias “Fantasma,” was detained in Grand Island, roughly 150 miles from Omaha, on charges related to immigration violations, the FBI reported on Tuesday.
Cuadra is accused of leading “El Combo,” an elite unit within MS-13 tasked with executing assassinations for the gang. Honduran officials have charged him with four homicides, highlighting his alleged criminal activities.
Investigators believe Cuadra was involved in the July 2022 assassination of Said Lobo Bonilla, the son of Porfirio Lobo Sosa, a former president of Honduras. The tragic incident saw Bonilla and three others gunned down as they exited a nightclub in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital.
Following the brutal killings, Cuadra reportedly fled Honduras. According to an affidavit recently made public, he and two accomplices were released from jail after a bribe of $125,000 was allegedly paid to government officials, federal prosecutors said.
Cuadra’s arrest sheds light on his alleged deep connections within MS-13, underscoring the gang’s extensive influence and reach. Authorities continue to investigate his network and potential ties to other leaders within the organization.
Authorities allege that Cuadra entered the United States in November by crossing from Mexico into Texas and later obtained a California driver’s license.
Honduran authorities identified Cuadra as a close associate of Yulan Archaga Carias, known as “Porky,” who is listed on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted fugitives list. Carias is believed to be MS-13’s leader in Honduras and a voting member of the gang’s leadership group, “La Mesa.”
The violent street gang MS-13 has made its presence felt in small towns and suburbs. (Fox News)
He is charged by the Justice Department with racketeering conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of and conspiracy to possess machine guns.
Despite Cuadra’s arrest on immigration charges, the FBI’s Houston office, which led the investigation that resulted in his arrest, continues to investigate him for his alleged role as an MS-13 leader.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative aimed at dismantling drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and to protect communities from violent crime.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI, the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security for more information, but did not immediately receive a response.
In February, President Donald Trump designated several groups — mostly drug cartels, including MS-13 — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, expanding the government’s ability to crack down on criminal groups operating in the U.S.
