FBI Catch a Top 10 Most Wanted Criminal With Possible Gang Ties to ID and WA

The FBI has announced the capture of a criminal who had been on the run since 2022.

Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales was caught by authorities on a highway in Veracruz, Mexico. It is believed that Francisco is a key leader of the deadly MS-13 gang which has a growing presence in Idaho and Washington State.

FBI 10 Most Wanted Criminal Believed Leader of Deadly Gang Growing in the US

Roman-Bardales was one of the Ten Most Wanted Criminals by the FBI and is the 3rd from the list caught in 2025. His capture involved multiple agencies including army, navy, National Guard, Federal Attorney General’s Office, and Federal Security Ministry according to the Mexico News Daily.

The 47-year-old is a Salvadoran national wanted by the FBI for involvement in the La Mara Salvatrucha gang (MS-13) and is believed to be a leader of the gang.

The FBI believes he had a significant role in:

ordering numerous acts of violence against civilians and rival gang members, as well as his role in drug distribution and extortion schemes in the United States and El Salvador.

The warrant for his arrest was issued in New York on September 22, 2022.

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Criminal With Ties to Deadly Gang in Idaho and Washington Caught by Mexican Authorities

The MS-13 is a deadly gang, but it is believed that many from the gang in Idaho are here to escape the gang lifestyle. MS-13 is known for drug dealing, weapons, murder, and other acts of violence.

The gang is also well-known in Washington State and lesser-known in Utah.