Federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed a sweeping 38-count superseding indictment today, taking aim at 27 alleged members of “Anti-Tren,” a violent splinter cell of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).
The charges, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, paint a grim picture of a gang that allegedly used murder, kidnapping, and sex trafficking to establish a foothold in the United States.
The updated indictment adds six new defendants to an ongoing investigation, bringing the total number of charged associates to 38. Among the most serious allegations is a double homicide that took place in the Bronx on April 15, 2024.
READ: Georgia Woman Sentenced In Alabama For Theft Of Retirement Funds From Dead Federal Workers
Prosecutors say Yender Mata, Ervin “Coco” Hernandez, and Kerlyn Nataliy Perez-Lopez conspired to kill Jhombeyker Jose Bisbal Pina and Adrian Mendoza Isturiz, both of whom were shot to death.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton described the group as a “terrorist organization” that imported a business model built on brutality. According to officials, Anti-Tren didn’t just target the public; they frequently warred with their parent organization, TdA, to protect their own territory and profits.
The indictment details a sophisticated criminal operation spanning New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, and Florida.
The gang’s revenue streams allegedly relied heavily on the “multadas”—young Venezuelan women smuggled into the country and forced into sex work to pay off massive debts. Prosecutors claim the gang kept these women in line through extreme violence, including threats against their families back home, kidnappings, and shootings.
READ: Roadside Ruse Ends In Handcuffs For Florida Teen After Indecent Exposure Spree
Beyond trafficking, the group is accused of a string of violent robberies and murder-for-hire plots. In early 2025, members allegedly carried out a gunpoint home invasion in Yonkers and targeted a drug trafficker for robbery in the Bronx. The court documents also reveal internal “gang punishments,” where leaders allegedly ordered members to be shot in the leg for various infractions.
“TdA and its offshoots are among the fastest emerging transnational criminal organizations to encroach upon American soil,” said John A. Condon, Acting Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations.
The crackdown is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a multi-agency initiative involving the NYPD, the FBI, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. While 21 of the defendants were already in the system from a previous indictment, five of the six newly named individuals are now in federal custody.
If convicted, many of the defendants face the possibility of life in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that while the charges are significant, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
