The Department of Justice unsealed indictments charging more than 70 alleged members of Tren de Aragua with racketeering, terrorism-related offenses and a broad set of violent and financial crimes across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas and New York. Allegations include RICO counts, Hobbs Act armed robberies, an ATM malware theft scheme, kidnappings and a suspected murder. Federal officials called TdA a transnational threat and announced a $5 million reward for alleged leader Hector "Nino" Guerrero Flores, who remains at large.
DOJ Unseals Multi-State Indictments Targeting Tren de Aragua Leaders — Accused of Killings, ATM Hacks, Drug Trafficking and Extortion
Justice Department unseals multi-state indictments against Tren de Aragua leaders for violent crimes
Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed sweeping indictments charging more than 70 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) with a range of violent and financial crimes across multiple U.S. states. The multi-jurisdictional actions, announced by the Department of Justice, allege that TdA operatives carried out kidnappings, murders, armed robberies, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking and sophisticated ATM-hacking schemes in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas and New York.
Charges and Where They Were Filed
Colorado: A federal grand jury indicted two alleged TdA leaders on RICO conspiracy and related charges, alleging a pattern of racketeering activity from May 2024 through March 2025. The pair also face Hobbs Act robbery counts and firearms charges tied to armed robberies at two Denver jewelry stores in June 2024. Prosecutors say several defendants were involved in an armed confrontation at an Aurora apartment complex that left one person dead.
Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang overtook an apartment building in Aurora, Colo., charging rent in exchange for 'protection.'
Nebraska: Grand juries returned two indictments charging 54 individuals — some tied to TdA — for allegedly orchestrating a malware-based scheme to steal millions from U.S. banks by compromising ATMs. Several defendants also face counts for providing material support to terrorism, money laundering, bank fraud, bank burglary and computer fraud.
New Mexico: A racketeering indictment against 11 alleged TdA members accuses suspects of kidnapping, interrogating and strangling a victim in an Albuquerque apartment, then burying the body in a remote desert grave, according to the DOJ.
Suspected gang members arrive in El Salvador, including 238 members of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang and 23 members of the MS-13 gang.
New York: Prosecutors unsealed an indictment naming Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, aka "Nino Guerrero," as a longtime TdA leader who allegedly directed the gang’s expansion across North America, South America and Europe. The State Department has posted a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Texas: A six-count superseding indictment charges four Venezuelan nationals with conspiring to provide material support to TdA and with conspiring to distribute cocaine routed from Colombia to the United States. Court filings describe two of the defendants as top TdA leaders and the others as senior operatives involved in gold smuggling, narcotics exports and violent crimes.
Suspected juvenile Tren de Aragua members were housed in a former New York City shelter and were allegedly attacking people in Times Square in a string of robberies.
Officials' Statements
Attorney General Pam Bondi said: "Immediately upon taking office, I directed the Department of Justice to fiercely pursue the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations. This latest multi-state series of charges underscores the administration’s unwavering commitment to restoring public safety, dismantling violent trafficking networks and ridding our country of Tren de Aragua terrorists."
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added: "Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that exploits our borders to bring murder, drugs and chaos into American communities. This Department is crushing their leadership, dismantling their networks and cutting off their money across the United States. There will be no safe haven here."
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency treats TdA as a significant national security threat and emphasized coordinated enforcement efforts: "The FBI is committed to investigating members of violent transnational gangs whose actions violate our laws and put American lives at risk."
What’s Next
The indictments signal an intensified federal effort to dismantle violent transnational criminal networks operating in and through the United States. Investigations are ongoing, several defendants remain at large, and authorities are seeking tips and intelligence to locate key leaders, including Guerrero Flores.
Note: Charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
