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5d ago

DOJ Levels First RICO Charges Against Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua

The Justice Department indicts 27 alleged members and associates of the gang and its splinter faction, marking a significant escalation in efforts to dismantle the violent transnational organization.

U.S. military personnel escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, at the El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador April 12, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE - New York City Mayor Eric Adams appears before a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing with Sanctuary City Mayors on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.,File)
White House border czar Tom Homan talks with reporters at the White House, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Overview

  • The U.S. Justice Department has charged 27 alleged members and associates of Tren de Aragua and its splinter group, Anti-Tren, under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for the first time.
  • The charges include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, robbery, and firearms offenses, with 21 of the accused already in custody and arrests carried out across multiple states.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that these indictments aim to devastate the gang's infrastructure, describing Tren de Aragua as a highly organized terrorist organization with a significant presence in the U.S.
  • Tren de Aragua, originally founded in Venezuelan prisons, has grown into a transnational criminal network linked to violent crimes, human trafficking, and drug distribution, including the smuggling of women for forced sex work.
  • The Trump administration previously designated the gang as a foreign terrorist organization and invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members, intensifying the crackdown on its operations.