Two young elders belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) were surprised when they learned about a significant FBI operation taking place in the Virginia neighborhood where they were carrying out their missionary work.

The two teenagers, hailing from Salt Lake City, were on a mission trip in Woodbridge, Virginia, with the aim of sharing the teachings of Mormonism to interested individuals.

For several months, Elder Ford and Elder Collings have resided in northern Virginia, with the primary responsibility of persuading locals to embrace their faith and disseminating information about their religious beliefs.

Originally, they approached DailyMail.com to speak about the LDS church, but soon the conversation revolved around the news of the day: the FBI arresting a high-profile cartel leader just minutes away.

While out ministering, the young men were not allowed access to the internet, they revealed, adding they hadn’t heard the shocking news. 

According to the FBI, a top MS-13 cartel leader, Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos, 24, who was originally from El Salvador, had infiltrated the neighborhood, which is just a 30 minute drive from the White House. Santos was the one of the cartel’s top three U.S.-based operatives. 

The mormons, who had spent their day walking around local streets unaware of the gang activity in the area, were floored by the news. 

‘It’s super crazy that he was here in Woodbridge,’ Elder Collings told DailyMail.com. ‘I didn’t think this is that much of a crazy place.’ 

Collings shared that the neighborhood appears ‘low key,’ and the fact that a top suspected drug trafficker lived there is ‘a shocker to hear.’

‘I think that’s super cool that they were able to get him and be able to put him in jail,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘It’s super good that we’re able to be safe here now, now that he’s no longer out on the streets just doing bad things to people.’

His evangelical partner, Elder Ford, who was also stunned, agreed.  

‘That’s good to have him behind bars where he belongs,’ Ford told DailyMail.com, admitting, ‘I worry about safety a lot of times.’  

‘Every morning we wake up and we pray for safety, so just knowing that this world is a little bit safer because of the police force and things like that, things that they’ve done to help protect us and makes us feel safe, makes us feel happy.’

The early morning raid in Dale City, Virginia, which neighbors Woodbridge, was attended by FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. 

Santos was arrested on gun charges following the raid, in which authorities discovered four firearms and a golden silencer. 

Ford shared he was happy the Trump administration was sending a message by attending the raids. 

‘They’re probably trying to send a message a little bit, sending the higher ups, making sure they know that this isn’t OK.’

‘Especially as being a member of a church, you know, to try to make sure that everything is safe for children and the next generation to come, they’re just making sure that crime can stay under control.’

Other residents in the neighborhood also expressed their dismay over the cartel bust.

Another local, Willard, told the Daily Mail: ‘I’m totally surprised to hear that. You know, Woodbridge is somewhat of an inconspicuous area.’

‘I am definitely surprised to hear that,’ he added. ‘I was aware that there was gang activity, but nothing to that scale.’

George, who works in the area, said: ‘They should, like I just said, go back, get deported back to their country. We don’t need criminals like this.’ 

‘I’m happy that Trump’s doing something about it,’ he added. 

Though one man told DailyMail.com the signs of gang infiltration were clear before Santos was arrested on Thursday.

‘I know they got MS-13’s here, but did not know the leader was here,’ he shared. ‘That’s ridiculous.’

Lester, a Woodbridge, Virginia, resident, said the signs of local cartel infiltration were evident as the cartel had clearly marked its territory. 

‘They be going around painting people cars and and stuff, putting they MS-13 on cars and people houses,’ he revealed, adding he was glad federal authorities stepped in.