The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday announced multiple indictments against more than 70 members of Tren de Aragua in a nationwide crackdown on the foreign terrorist organization.
The cartel members were charged with various crimes that the DOJ said occurred inside and outside the United States, including murder, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
Five U.S. Attorney offices in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and Texas were involved in the indictments.
“The existence of [Tren de Aragua] is a direct threat to our national security, and we will not allow such a dangerous criminal organization to take root in our communities,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
Federal prosecutors in Nebraska indicted 54 members of the cartel Thursday for their alleged roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States.
The cybercrime, called “ATM jackpotting,” occurs when thieves use malware to force the bank cash machines to dispense large amounts of cash on command.
“Many millions of dollars were drained from ATM machines across the United States as a result of this conspiracy and that money is alleged to have gone to Tren de Aragua leaders to fund their terroristic activities and purposes,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska Lesley Woods.
Nebraska law enforcement investigators were able to identify the criminal network and follow the money trail back to Venezuela, according to Woods. The defendants’ charges include conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism, money laundering, bank burglary, and computer fraud and abuse.
Prosecutors say Tren de Aragua relied on the recruitment of several people to deploy the ATM malware nationwide. Members would travel in groups using multiple cars to their targeted banks and credit unions. Then, the groups would study the ATMs before conducting operations.
In Colorado, two alleged leaders of Tren de Aragua were indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday.
Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano are facing multiple charges related to a 2024 jewelry store robbery involving $4 million in stolen jewelry and gold. The charges include Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) conspiracy, according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors in New Mexico indicted 11 alleged members of the organization on racketeering charges. They are accused of kidnapping, brutally interrogating, and strangling a victim in an Albuquerque apartment before burying his body in a remote desert grave.
Some defendants were also allegedly involved in an armed confrontation in Aurora, Colorado, that resulted in one person being killed.
In New York, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores was indicted in connection with his alleged leadership role in Tren de Aragua. Prosecutors claim he served as either a leader or co-leader of the group for over a decade, leading its expansion across the Western Hemisphere while operating from Venezuela.
The U.S. State Department is offering rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Federal prosecutors in Texas charged four Venezuelan nationals on charges related to cocaine smuggling. Two of the defendants are alleged leaders of the group.
Thursday’s nationwide sweep brings the total number of Tren de Aragua members indicted in the United States to over 260 since Jan. 20, according to the DOJ.
“This latest multi-state series of charges underscored the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to restoring public safety, dismantling violent trafficking networks, and ridding our country of Tren de Aragua terrorists,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
Tren de Aragua is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. The cartel has expanded its network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a significant presence in the United States.
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