MS-13 gang members stab five Virginia corrections officers

Several inmates at Wallens Ridge State Prison in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, allegedly stabbed five corrections officers in a violent attack.

According to the State Department of Corrections (VADOC), five of the six detainees involved in theincident are confirmed members of the MS-13 gang from El Salvador and were in the U.S. without legal authorization.

VADOC reported that the five Salvadoran members of the MS-13 gang have been convicted of violent crimes, including aggravated murder, first- and second-degree murder, and rape.

The sixth inmate involved in the attack is serving a sentence for second-degree murder and has been identified as a member of the Sureño 13 gang.

According to VADOC, three of the injured officers have been released after receiving medical treatment, while the other two remain hospitalized in stable condition.

Wallens Ridge is a level 5 facility, considered a high security facility

Wallens Ridge Prison houses over 1,200 inmates and employs 800 staff members. Once classified as a maximum-security facility, it has since been downgraded to Level 5—a high-security designation that typically involves slightly fewer restrictions.

The Virginia Department of Corrections stated that the attack remains under investigation.

Dotson: "Our officers are heroes."

Corrections Director Chad Dotson shared a statement on social media following the incident, denouncing the illegal presence of gang members in the U.S.: “Five of the individuals responsible for this senseless attack should never have been in this country in the first place.”

Dotson praised his officers for their service and quick response to the attack, adding, "Every day, our officers risk their lives to ensure the public safety of more than 8.8 million people (...) This attack is an example of the dangers they face when they show up for work. Our officers are heroes, and I commend the Wallens Ridge team for their quick response."

In late February, the State Department designated several Mexican drug cartels, the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, and the Salvadoran MS-13 gang as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and declared a formal effort to combat them.