The U.S. Government has ramped up its offensive against transnational organized crime by announcing a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to the capture or conviction of Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías, the top leader of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in Honduras.
Archaga Carías is also known by the aliases "Porky" and "Alexander Mendoza," and is among the most wanted fugitives by U.S. federal authorities.
Reward under the program against organized crime
The measure was announced through a statement from the Department of State, detailing that the reward is offered "under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP), announced in 2023, for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías, alias 'Porky' and 'Alexander Mendoza'."
U.S. authorities claim that Archaga Carías is responsible for directing a wide range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, money laundering, murders, kidnappings, and other violent crimes committed with automatic firearms.
The DEA and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have included him on their lists of the most wanted criminals.
MS-13: A Gang Transformed into a Transnational Threat
The gang Mara Salvatrucha, popularly known as MS-13, was founded in the 1980s in Los Angeles, California, by Salvadoran migrants fleeing violence in Central America.
What started as a street gang soon transformed into an international criminal organization, with a strong presence in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and connections in Mexico and the United States.
In 2012, under the administration of Barack Obama, MS-13 was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for its connections to international criminal networks.
More recently, on February 20, 2025, the group was officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the U.S. administration.
This designation places MS-13 on par with other dangerous criminal organizations such as six Mexican cartels and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which are also included on that list due to their violent activities, hierarchical structure, and transnational impact.
Judicial developments against the Tren de Aragua
In parallel to the intensification of actions against MS-13, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed on Monday formal charges against 27 members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan criminal organization also classified as terrorist.
The defendants will face charges of conspiracy to commit organized crime, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, robbery, and firearms offenses.
Of the 27 involved, 21 are already in federal custody, including 16 who were previously detained for other reasons, and five were recently captured in operations conducted in New York and other jurisdictions.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi was emphatic in stating: "As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang; it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, has engaged in human trafficking, and has distributed lethal drugs in our communities."
He added that the legal actions being taken “cover three states and will devastate the infrastructure of TdA while we work to completely dismantle and expel this organization from our country.”
The recent actions of the U.S. government are part of a comprehensive strategy to combat transnational organized crime, employing a coordinated approach that includes economic sanctions, criminal prosecution, international cooperation, and rewards for information leading to the capture of key leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Reward for the Capture of the MS-13 Leader
Who is Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías and why is he wanted by the U.S.?
Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías, also known as "Porky" or "Alexander Mendoza", is the leader of the MS-13 gang in Honduras. U.S. authorities accuse him of overseeing activities such as drug trafficking, money laundering, murders, and kidnappings, making him one of the most wanted criminals under the Rewards for Major International Drug Traffickers Program.
What is the reward offered for the capture of Archaga Carías?
The United States Government has offered a reward of up to five million dollars for information leading to the capture or conviction of Yulan Adonay Archaga Carías. This offer is made under the Rewards for Justice Program against Transnational Organized Crime.
Why has MS-13 been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization?
The MS-13 has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization due to its violent activities, hierarchical structure, and transnational impact. This designation allows the U.S. government to impose harsher sanctions and take stricter legal actions against the group.
What other actions is the U.S. taking against transnational organized crime?
In addition to offering rewards for the capture of criminal leaders, the U.S. government is implementing a comprehensive strategy that includes economic sanctions, criminal prosecution, and international cooperation to combat transnational organized crime, as seen with the legal actions against the Tren de Aragua and other organizations.
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