(The Center Square) – Over 500 “violent illegal immigrants” have been arrested in Virginia since February, according to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Speaking Monday on a national network interview, he is touting the crackdown as a “national model.”

“We have arrested 521 violent illegal immigrants, over 130 of which are known members of international terrorist gangs,” Youngkin said. “And these are folks that have been taken off the streets of Virginia, and we’re a lot safer because of this.”

In February, the governor signed an executive order directing state law enforcement and corrections officers to assist with federal immigration enforcement. Youngkin believes the commonwealth’s partnership with federal authorities could stand as a “national model.”

The governor says the numbers include members of the El Salvadoran gang MS-13 and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Youngkin said the individuals are currently being held by federal authorities, where they are “being processed and charged in an appropriate way, case by case by case, and they’re being deported as appropriate.”

The governor credits the cooperation and partnership with the Trump administration, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, Tom Homan, the border czar, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Patel echoed the governor’s national model idea, applauding the commonwealth’s partnership with federal law enforcement.

“The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force is a model for every state in the country on effective collaboration between federal law enforcement agencies and state and local partners working every day to make America safer,” said Patel. “The FBI is proud to work with Attorney General Bondi, Governor Youngkin, and Virginia AG Miyares in this effort. Our early numbers so far have been a tremendous success, but we are just beginning.”

Bondi agrees with Patel and Youngkin, describing the partnership as “unprecedented.”

“This is the product of unprecedented collaboration between state and federal law enforcement entities working to protect Virginia’s communities,” said the attorney general.“Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares have been incredible partners with the Department of Justice, and we will collaborate with every state in effectuating President Trump’s Make America Safe agenda.” 

The governor says law enforcement officials can “unwind” criminal networks “to go find the next group of these illegal, violent criminals.” He believes it will lead to further arrests “going forward … it’s a long-term effort in order to make sure that we unwind this gang activity.”

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that state and federal authorities had arrested a MS-13 ringleader for the East Coast in Prince William County, Va.

During Monday’s interview, Youngkin compared what is happening in his state versus its neighbor, Maryland.

Youngkin said, “I think it’s incredibly important to compare what’s going on in Virginia to what’s going on in other states, like in Maryland, where you actually see a senator and governor stand up for someone who, in fact, was a member and is a member of a gang, as found by multiple judges, and they’re standing up to protect that person. Listen, we’re going to work in Virginia to make sure these folks are arrested.”

(The Center Square) – Taking video footage of military bases using a drone could land some in hot legal water if proposed bipartisan legislation becomes law.

The Drone Espionage Act, introduced by Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va. and Don Davis, D-N.C., in the U.S. House of Representatives would update the Espionage Act of 1917, criminalizing drone video footage of “sensitive national defense sites” punishable by fine, 10 years of imprisonment or both.

By law, it is illegal to take photos of national defense sites; however, it fails to mention video, leaving sites vulnerable to foreign adversaries. The representatives say there has been a rise in drones being used by countries like China to “capture” video footage of sensitive sites.

The lawmakers say “federal prosecutors have successfully prosecuted several foreign agents” under the existing Espionage Act, and that passing the legislation would provide prosecutors the ability to prosecute “foreign agents” for using drone videography over sensitive sites.

While the legislation directly identifies the potential restrictions of “drone videography” over national defense sites, it doesn’t specify a complete restriction of drone usage over the sites. The Federal Aviation Administration says drones are restricted over “designated national security sensitive facilities; and certain military bases.”

The congresswoman, a Navy veteran, represents one of the largest “military-heavy” districts in the nation, and says it is essential to national security to “safeguard” national defense infrastructure and national security. Davis is a veteran of the Air Force and comes from a state with six major military installations.

“A key step in achieving those protections is to ensure individuals cannot use drone videography to spy on our national defense sites,” Kiggans said. “I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Drone Espionage Act to hold these bad actors accountable, impose serious repercussions, and protect our national security. As China and other adversaries ramp up threats and increase their drone usage, we must send a clear message that we will not toleration unlawful surveillance on American soil.”

Last fall, “mysterious” drone sightings up and down the East Coast highlighted concerns they were being used by foreign adversaries to spy on Americans, especially near military bases. The Pentagon and the White House later confirmed the drone sightings flew with government authorization, quashing the notion that the sightings were attributed to foreign adversaries.