27 Alleged Tren de Aragua Members Charged with RICO Offenses in NYC

Federal RICO Charges Against Tren de Aragua

• 🎯 The Department of Justice has charged 27 alleged members and associates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) with federal RICO offenses.
• 🏛️ This marks the first time the U.S. has issued RICO charges against TDA, a gang often associated with organized crime.
• 🤝 The indictment highlights collaboration between federal immigration enforcement and New York officials, including the NYPD.

Scope of Criminal Activities

• 🚨 The charged individuals are accused of involvement in sex trafficking, drug trafficking, robbery, murder, and gun offenses.
• 📈 Some members allegedly brought women from Venezuela to the U.S. and forced them into prostitution to pay off debts.
• 🔫 Confiscated items at a press conference included a significant amount of weapons.

Gang Designation and Future Efforts

• ⚠️ Tren de Aragua has been officially labeled a terrorist organization.
• 🧩 The federal indictment also includes a splinter group of former TDA members known as "anti-trend."
• 🚫 Officials, including Border Czar Tom Homan, have stated a commitment to removing all TDA and MS-13 members from American borders.
• ⚖️ The underlying offenses for the RICO charges included sex trafficking, gun trafficking, drug trafficking, and murder for hire, leading to the rescue of sex trafficking victims.