Twenty-seven individuals accused of connections to a Venezuelan criminal organization.
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Twenty-seven Suspected Members of Latin America's Notorious Gang Tren de Aragua Indicted in the US
Last Monday, the Department of Justice slammed twenty-seven individuals with ties to the violent Tren de Aragua gang in the United States for a slew of dirty deeds, including murder, human and drug trafficking, and extortion, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew Podolsky.
Originating in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua has spread its wings across Latin America and the U.S. The administration has labeled this multinational gang as a "foreign terrorist organization."
In a bold move, the Trump administration, invoking a centuries-old law most notably used in wartime, has kicked out hundreds of migrants suspected of belonging to this gang. Donald Trump, the President himself, shipped 252 Venezuelans to a high-security prison in El Salvador sans a trial.
However, lawyers for these expelled individuals claim that their clients have no connection to Tren de Aragua, have committed no crimes, and were targeted solely based on their tattoos.
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court order that had blocked the expulsions but mandated that those removed from American soil must be granted the opportunity to challenge the measures against them in court.
On April 19, a halt was called on a new mass expulsion of a group of Venezuelan immigrants, temporarily at least.
In Trump's own words, "We can't try everyone, as that would take, without exaggeration, 200 years."
Enhanced Insights:The indictments against the 27 suspects had two superseding indictments unsealed on April 22, 2025. The accused, currently or formerly associated with Tren de Aragua, were charged with various offenses, including racketeering, sex trafficking, narcotics trafficking, robbery, carjacking, and firearms possession.
Beyond these broad charges, a high-ranking member of Tren de Aragua, Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, alias "Chuqui," was slapped with terrorism-related offenses, marking the first case of its kind against an alleged Tren de Aragua member since the gang's designation as a terrorist organization. However, Flores's case differs from the indictments against the 27 individuals mentioned above.
- The Venezuelan nationals indicted along with members of Tren de Aragua face a range of charges, including racketeering, sex trafficking, narcotics trafficking, robbery, carjacking, and firearms possession, as announced in the unsealed superseding indictments on April 22, 2025.
- The assertion made by lawyers for the expelled Venezuelans that their clients had no connection to Tren de Aragua and committed no crimes was contested by the Trump administration, which has invoked a centuries-old law and forced the expulsion of hundreds of individuals suspected of being connected to the gang.
- In addition to the indictment of the 27 individuals, a high-ranking member of Tren de Aragua, Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, alias "Chuqui," was indicted on terrorism-related offenses, marking the first such case against an alleged Tren de Aragua member since the gang's designation as a terrorist organization.
- The sentencing of the indicted Venezuelans and other Tren de Aragua members will likely prove to be a highly contentious issue in both domestic politics and the general news, as well as the broader realm of crime and justice.
