This week marked a significant escalation in efforts targeting the migrant terrorist group, Tren de Aragua, with the filing of the first RICO racketeering charges against its members and associates in New York City.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York initiated these legal proceedings as part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide initiative designed to counter illegal immigration, dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and address violent crime within communities. The stated goal is to restore security and stability.
The indictment involves 27 individuals, encompassing both current and former members, facing serious charges including:
- Human smuggling
- Sex trafficking
- Murder
“Today’s actions demonstrate a commitment to holding accountable those responsible for violence within our communities,” stated Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney. Specifically, he detailed alleged activities such as forcing young women from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing businesses, and distributing “tusi,” a pink powder substance associated with the group.
The charges were presented in two separate indictments: one targeting six current members of Tren de Aragua, and another encompassing 21 former members and associates forming a splinter gang known as “Anti-Tren.” Notably, the Trump State Department has already designated Tren de Aragua, alongside other migrant gangs operating across the United States, as foreign terrorist organizations.
Currently, twenty-one of the accused individuals are in federal custody; sixteen were previously held within state or immigration systems, while five were apprehended recently. The majority of those involved are in their twenties, with one individual aged 44. Potential penalties for convictions range from multiple life sentences to lengthy prison terms.
The specific allegations include racketeering, sex trafficking, illegal alien importation, drug trafficking, carjacking conspiracy, robbery, unlawful possession and use of firearms, and extortion. A particularly concerning aspect highlighted in the indictments is the alleged smuggling of “multadas” – vulnerable women trafficked from Venezuela to Peru and the U.S., where they are held captive under threat of violence, including family harm, assault, shooting, and even execution, by both Tren de Aragua and Anti-Tren.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the comprehensive impact of these charges, stating: “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 further described Tren de Aragua as a “highly structured terrorist organization” responsible for widespread violence and drug distribution.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch also lauded the efforts, noting that this represents the first time Tren de Aragua has been formally identified and prosecuted as a criminal enterprise. “This gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers,” she asserted, outlining alleged activities including trafficking women for sexual exploitation, drug distribution, and violent crime with illegal firearms – actions that are now being actively addressed through collaborative law enforcement efforts.
The case received substantial support from Joint Task Force Vulcan, established in 2019 to combat the MS-13 gang, and subsequently expanded to include the investigation of Tren de Aragua.
