MS-13 Kingpin ‘Grenas de Stoners’ Caught, Charged with Terrorism

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – In a major blow to the notorious MS-13 gang, Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, also known as Grenas de Stoners and Oso de Stoners, a high-ranking leader of the transnational criminal organization, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on June 9, 2024, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

Lopez-Larios, who had been a fugitive for over three years, was ordered to be transferred in custody to the Eastern District of New York, where he will face charges alongside 13 other high-ranking MS-13 leaders. The indictment alleges that Lopez-Larios and his co-defendants directed the gang’s criminal activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, and elsewhere over the past two decades.

Lopez-Larios is charged with conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to finance terrorism, and narco-terrorism conspiracy. The charges carry significant penalties, and Lopez-Larios will soon face a reckoning in a federal courtroom on Long Island.

“The arrest of Lopez-Larios, who is one of the most senior leaders of MS-13 in the world, is a significant achievement for law enforcement and another crucial step in the dismantling of this international criminal enterprise,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “The defendant will soon face a reckoning in a federal courtroom on Long Island where, acting on his orders, MS-13 has spilled so much blood and turned communities into war zones.”

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, HSI’s National Gangs and Violent Crime Unit, and the FBI’s Houston Field Office were instrumental in the arrest, with significant contributions from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshals Service for the Southern District of Texas.

As the investigation continues, law enforcement agencies remain committed to dismantling MS-13’s grip on communities across the country. “Now that Mr. Lopez-Larios is behind bars, he’s no longer in his alleged position of power directing a reign of terror, nor enriching MS-13 and their cartel associates,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge Krysti Hawkins. “The FBI will continue to collaborate with our partners to seek justice and to find the remaining fugitives of this vicious transnational criminal enterprise.”

The arrest of Lopez-Larios marks a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to dismantle MS-13’s leadership. “Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios’ arrest represents yet another significant leader of MS-13 to be brought to justice this year,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “Although Lopez-Larios, also known as Grenas de Stoners to his followers, is now in custody, we recognize there is more to be done. HSI New York, working with our law enforcement partners, will not cease in our efforts to hold MS-13 accountable for their unmitigated violence in communities across New York and elsewhere.”

The indictment and related court filings detail the scope of Lopez-Larios’ alleged crimes, which include directing the gang’s activities in multiple countries and orchestrating acts of violence and intimidation.

As the case against Lopez-Larios moves forward, the people of Long Island and beyond can take comfort in the knowledge that law enforcement is working tirelessly to bring MS-13’s leaders to justice.