The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced indictments against 27 alleged members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Of the people charged, six are alleged gang members, 19 are allegedly members of a TdA splinter faction named Anti-Tren, and two others are allegedly associated with Anti-Tren.
The DOJ indictment accuses the alleged TdA members of “murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence.”
TdA members allegedly did this to protect and expand their criminal organization and fight back against organizations like Anti-Tren.
“As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country,” she added.
In the DOJ’s Anti-Tren indictment, people are accused of “murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence.”
The indictment alleges these crimes were committed to expand its operations and retaliate against rival organizations such as TdA.
New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, “Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City.”
Tisch stated this was the first time TdA had been charged as a criminal enterprise.
“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns,” she added.
President Trump declared TdA a foreign terrorist organization and invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport its gang members. However, the Supreme Court halted Trump from deporting Venezuelans under this act. CBS News said almost 200 Venezuelans have been deported using the act.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at [email protected].
