by Kari Donovan at Frontline America
In a stunning development on Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the capture and extradition of Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, a key senior leader of the notoriously violent MS-13 gang. Roman-Bardales, one of the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” fugitives, was taken into custody in Mexico and brought to the United States to face charges for orchestrating brutal acts of violence, drug distribution, and extortion spanning the U.S. and El Salvador.
“This is a major victory both for our law enforcement partners and for a safer America,” Patel declared, thanking U.S. and Mexican authorities for their cooperation in the high-profile arrest.
BREAKING: I can now confirm that last night, working with @TheJusticeDept and other interagency partners, the FBI has extradited one of our “Ten Most Wanted” from Mexico — one we believe to be a key senior leader of MS-13, Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales.
He was arrested in…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 18, 2025
Yet, while law enforcement scored a critical win against organized crime, another legal and political firestorm erupted in Washington, D.C. At the same time Patel’s announcement was making headlines, a showdown between the Biden administration and the judiciary intensified over the fate of deportation flights for criminal migrants.
DOJ Shields Deportation Details, Citing ‘State Secrets’
Federal officials, facing legal challenges over deportation flights, refused to comply with Judge James Boasberg’s demand to disclose information about the flights, even under seal. DOJ attorneys argued that providing the information would infringe on executive authority, hinting they may invoke the state secrets privilege to withhold the details entirely.
“The underlying premise of these orders,…
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