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5d ago

U.S. Files First RICO Charges Against Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua

The Justice Department indicts 27 alleged members and associates of the transnational criminal group on charges including racketeering, sex trafficking, and drug distribution.

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)
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
White House border czar Tom Homan talks with reporters at the White House, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Overview

  • The Justice Department has charged 27 individuals under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, marking the first use of the statute against members of Tren de Aragua.
  • The indictments include allegations of racketeering, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, murder, robbery, and firearms offenses, targeting both core gang members and a splinter group known as Anti-Tren.
  • Federal authorities report that 21 of the defendants are already in custody, while six remain at large following recent arrests in New York and other jurisdictions.
  • The gang, which originated in Venezuelan prisons in 2013, has grown into a transnational criminal network with a presence in at least 15 U.S. states.
  • This legal action follows the gang's designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization earlier this year, enabling the use of expanded counterterrorism and deportation tools.