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4d ago

U.S. Files First Terrorism Charges Against High-Ranking Tren de Aragua Leader

The Justice Department indicted Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, marking an escalation in efforts to dismantle the Venezuelan gang designated as a terrorist organization.

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Overview

  • Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, a high-ranking Tren de Aragua leader, was charged with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and drug trafficking.
  • The charges follow President Trump's February designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, enabling new legal tools to combat the gang.
  • Martinez Flores was arrested in Colombia on March 31 and remains in custody pending extradition to the United States.
  • The FBI assesses that Venezuelan officials may be leveraging Tren de Aragua as proxies to destabilize the U.S. and other countries, though U.S. intelligence agencies remain divided on the extent of state involvement.
  • This marks the first time terrorism-related charges have been filed against a Tren de Aragua member, signaling a shift in U.S. strategy to treat transnational gangs as national security threats.