U.S. Charges 27 Alleged Tren de Aragua Members Under RICO Act in Major Crackdown

In a landmark move, the U.S. Justice Department has charged 27 individuals alleged to be current or former members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua with a range of serious crimes including racketeering, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, robbery, and firearms offenses. This marks the first time the gang, which originated in Venezuelan prisons, has faced prosecution under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a federal law designed to combat organized crime.

According to the Justice Department, 21 of those charged are already in federal custody. Of the total, six are believed to be active members of Tren de Aragua, while 19 are identified as part of a splinter faction known as Anti-Tren. The remaining two individuals are said to be associates of Anti-Tren. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that these charges represent a significant step in dismantling the gang’s criminal infrastructure within the country.

The crackdown aligns with broader efforts by former President Donald Trump’s administration to target foreign gangs operating in the U.S. The administration had previously designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and, in a controversial move, used the Alien Enemies Act to deport hundreds of alleged members to a Salvadoran prison without standard legal procedures. While the administration often linked detained migrants to gang activity, those claims have frequently lacked substantiation in court.

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