MS-13 leader arrested in Nebraska
The FBI said Tuesday it arrested Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, 33, aka 'Fantasma,' in Grand Island, Nebraska on Monday on immigration-related charges; he is an alleged MS-13 leader linked to a July 2022 Tegucigalpa nightclub killing of former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa’s son, Said Lobo Bonilla, and three others. An unsealed affidavit says Cuadra fled Honduras after the quadruple murder, was released from jail there after $125,000 in bribes, entered the U.S. via Texas in November, and later obtained a California driver’s license; the FBI’s Houston office continues to investigate him as part of Operation Take Back America.
📌 Key Facts
- Suspect: Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, 33, alias 'Fantasma,' arrested in Grand Island, NE on Monday; FBI announcement Tuesday
- Linked to July 2022 killing of Said Lobo Bonilla (ex-Honduran president’s son) and three others in Tegucigalpa
- Unsealed affidavit: $125,000 in bribes secured prior release in Honduras; entered U.S. in November via Texas; later obtained a California driver’s license
- Identified associate of Yulan Archaga Carias ('Porky'), an FBI Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive and alleged MS-13 leader in Honduras
- Case tied to Operation Take Back America targeting transnational criminal organizations
📊 Relevant Data
MS-13 has between 50,000 and 70,000 members concentrated in urban areas in Central America or locations outside this region where there is a large Central American immigrant community, including the United States.
MS13 in the Americas: Major Findings — Office of Justice Programs
In 2024, Honduras had a homicide rate of 25.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Homicide rate in Honduras 2024 — Statista
Honduras net migration for 2024 was -4,821, a 4.42% decline from 2023.
Honduras Net Migration (1960-2024) — Macrotrends
In Grand Island, NE, the Hispanic population is 35.39% of the total population as of 2025.
Grand Island, NE Population by Race & Ethnicity - 2025 Update — Neilsberg
Gangs are primarily comprised of adolescents under 18 (41%) and Latinos (50%) in the U.S.
Gangs among Latinos in the U.S. — Berkeley Institute for Data Science