RICHMOND, Va. — On Monday, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force arrested over 500 criminal illegal immigrants, including over 130 gang affiliates.

Gov. Youngkin stated that 132 of the 521 arrested since Feb. 25 had affiliations with gangs such as MS-13, Tren de Aragua and other transnational organized crime organizations.

"I am grateful for the leadership of President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Noem, Director Patel and Acting Director Lyons. What’s happening in Virginia is a model that should be replicated all across the country," stated the governor.

A.G. Bondi and FBI Director Patel commended the partnership between the federal and state governments.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, acting Director Todd Lyons also commended the collaboration, saying, "We’re expanding ICE’s 287(g) program and partnering with more state and local law enforcement officials to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. Since Jan. 20, ICE has arrested and removed unprecedented numbers of dangerous gang affiliates from Virginia’s communities.”

The Task Force is led by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert and consists of personell from ICE, FBI, DEA, DSS, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Corrections, among others.