The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday a sweeping series of indictments against more than 70 members of Tren de Aragua, delivering a decisive nationwide blow to the foreign terrorist organization. The charges span a long list of crimes committed inside and outside the United States, including murder, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, and drug trafficking — basically a greatest-hits album of organized crime, and none of it welcome here.
Five U.S. Attorney’s Offices — Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and Texas — were involved in the coordinated crackdown, underscoring the federal government’s unified effort to dismantle this violent network and keep American communities safe.
FBI Director Kash Patel didn’t mince words, stating that the existence of Tren de Aragua is a direct threat to U.S. national security and that authorities will not allow such a dangerous criminal organization to take root in the country. Clear, firm, and exactly what Americans expect from serious leadership.
In Nebraska, federal prosecutors indicted 54 cartel members for their alleged roles in a massive cybercrime conspiracy involving “ATM jackpotting.” The scheme used malware to force ATMs to dispense large amounts of cash on command, draining millions of dollars from machines across the United States. According to prosecutors, that stolen money was funneled back to Tren de Aragua leaders to fund their terror-related activities. Who knew ATMs were being treated like personal piggy banks for terrorists?
Law enforcement officials were able to trace the money trail all the way back to Venezuela, exposing the full criminal network. Charges include conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism, money laundering, bank burglary, and computer fraud and abuse — a reminder that this wasn’t just street crime, but organized, international operations.
In Colorado, two alleged leaders — Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano — were indicted on multiple charges related to a 2024 jewelry store robbery involving roughly $4 million in stolen jewelry and gold. Federal prosecutors charged them with RICO conspiracy, a label reserved for serious criminal enterprises, not petty thieves.
New Mexico prosecutors indicted 11 alleged members on racketeering charges tied to a brutal kidnapping and murder in Albuquerque. The suspects are accused of interrogating, strangling, and killing a victim before burying his body in a remote desert grave — a chilling example of the cartel’s violent methods.
Some defendants were also allegedly involved in an armed confrontation in Aurora, Colorado, that resulted in one fatality, further highlighting the danger posed by this organization.
In New York, Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores was indicted for his alleged leadership role in Tren de Aragua, which prosecutors say he held for more than a decade while overseeing the group’s expansion across the Western Hemisphere from Venezuela. The U.S. State Department is offering rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction — a strong incentive to do the right thing.
Meanwhile in Texas, federal prosecutors charged four Venezuelan nationals in connection with cocaine smuggling, including two alleged leaders of the organization. With Thursday’s indictments, the total number of Tren de Aragua members charged in the United States has surpassed 260 since January 20, according to the DOJ.
Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that this multi-state operation reflects the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to restoring public safety, dismantling violent trafficking networks, and removing Tren de Aragua terrorists from the country. This is what law and order looks like when it’s actually enforced.
Tren de Aragua began as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s and has since grown into a violent transnational criminal organization with a significant presence across the Western Hemisphere and the United States. The message from this crackdown is clear: America is done tolerating imported terror and organized crime — and that’s a win for public safety, the rule of law, and the future of our communities.
