Federal authorities unleashed a sweeping legal offensive against the transnational gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) on Thursday, unsealing indictments against more than 70 individuals across five states. The coordinated strike targets the group’s leadership and foot soldiers, accusing them of a brutal campaign of violence that includes murder, kidnapping, and an elaborate ATM hacking scheme that siphoned millions from U.S. banks.
The Department of Justice’s announcement marks a significant escalation in the fight against the Venezuelan-born criminal organization, which officials say has rapidly expanded its footprint from South American prisons to American suburbs.
Since January, federal prosecutors have indicted over 260 alleged TdA members. Attorney General Pamela Bondi framed the latest charges as a direct fulfillment of the administration’s aggressive stance on border security and organized crime.
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“Immediately upon taking office, I directed the Department of Justice to fiercely pursue the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations,” Bondi said. “This latest multi-state series of charges underscores the Trump Administration’s unwavering commitment to restoring public safety… and ridding our country of Tren de Aragua terrorists.”
“We Will Find You”
The indictments span five U.S. Attorney’s offices—Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Southern District of New York, and the Southern District of Texas—and paint a grim picture of the gang’s operations.
In New York, prosecutors unsealed charges against Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Nino Guerrero.” Authorities identify him as the mastermind behind TdA’s global expansion, alleging he directed murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking from Venezuela while facilitating the transport of tons of cocaine into the U.S. The State Department has placed a $5 million reward on information leading to his capture.
In Nebraska, the focus shifted to cybercrime. A grand jury indicted 54 individuals in a massive conspiracy to hack ATMs using malware. This “jackpotting” scheme allegedly allowed the gang to drain millions of dollars from financial institutions to fund their operations.
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The violence attributed to the group is particularly graphic in the New Mexico indictments. Eleven alleged members face racketeering charges for kidnapping and strangling a victim in an Albuquerque apartment before burying the body in a remote desert grave. Some of these same defendants were reportedly involved in a deadly shootout at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
Colorado prosecutors also hit two alleged leaders with RICO conspiracy charges, linking them to armed robberies of jewelry stores in Denver and a pattern of extortion and money laundering. meanwhile, in Texas, high-ranking members were charged with coordinating gold smuggling and cocaine distribution chains that stretched from Colombia to U.S. streets.
Joint Task Force Vulcan Expanded
To manage the sprawl of these investigations, the DOJ has expanded “Joint Task Force Vulcan.” Originally created in 2019 to dismantle MS-13, the task force’s mandate now includes the eradication of Tren de Aragua. It brings together the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service in a unified front.
“Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that exploits our borders to bring murder, drugs, and chaos into American communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “There will be no safe haven here.”
Officials described TdA as a “rapidly expanding foreign terrorist organization” that thrives on instability. DEA Administrator Terrance Cole noted the gang’s strategic alliances with other designated terror groups, including the FARC and ELN, to fuel corruption and violence across the hemisphere.
For the U.S. Marshals, the message to the gang’s remaining members was personal and direct.
“We will not give you a moment of rest,” said Director Gadyaces S. Serralta. “We will find you. We will arrest you… You will be made to answer for your crimes.”
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