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A judge has blocked federal prosecutors from handing over MS-13 leader Vladimir Arevalo-Chavez to El Salvador, where he would likely be silenced. The unprecedented attempt to drop terrorism charges due to “geopolitical” reasons has triggered intense legal pushback.
Arevalo-Chavez is accused of participating in international crimes and holding key information about a secret 2019 deal between the Salvadoran government and MS-13. Legal scholars warn this case could redefine how—and when—national security prosecutions can be abandoned in favor of diplomacy.