The indictments come as part of a broader crackdown on foreign gangs and cartels by the Trump administration.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 21 announced that 27 alleged members or affiliates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had been charged under legislation designed to bring down criminal enterprises.
The allegations against those charged included committing robberies and shootings, sex trafficking and organized prostitution of women brought into the United States illegally from Venezuela, robbing and extorting small businesses, and trafficking a drug called “tusi,” which contains ketamine, that the DOJ described as the gang’s “calling card” in a statement announcing the charges.
The indictments were filed against those suspected to be current members of TdA, which is designated a terrorist organization by the federal government, and members of “Anti-Tren,” a group the DOJ said is largely composed of past TdA members.
The DOJ said the case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
The case fits into President Donald Trump’s broader hardline stance against gangs like TdA and MS-13.
Attorney General Pam Bondi also released a statement on the indictment, saying, “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.”
Bondi said that the indictments and arrests made in connection with the case spanned three states and that they’re poised to “devastate TdA’s infrastructure.”
The federal law being used to charge the more than two dozen individuals, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), was introduced in the late 20th century as a measure to break up the mob. However, it’s broad enough to permit widespread application to any type of corrupt organization.
To convict under RICO, prosecutors must prove that one or more “enterprises”—meaning any organization dedicated to an end goal, whether corporate or criminal—engaged in a pattern of criminal behavior. Specific federal charges are eligible for prosecution under RICO, and any RICO case must involve at least two of those charges being committed within a 10-year period.
By Joseph Lord
