United States Drug Enforcement Administration

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced charges against more than 25 individuals as part of a nationwide crackdown targeting the foreign terrorist organization (FTO), Tren de Aragua (TdA). Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are illegal aliens from Venezuela, Colombia, and Honduras. TdA has been linked to various violent crimes inside and outside the United States, including murder, robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, and controlled substance trafficking. Charges have been filed across six U.S. Attorney offices, including the Districts of Colorado, Southern Florida, Northern Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Western Tennessee, and Eastern Washington for offenses that include firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, among others.

This operation resulted in the seizure of more than 80 firearms and approximately 18 kilograms of drugs including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, MDMA, and Tusi, a mixed substance that contains ketamine and/or MDMA. More than $100,000 in U.S. dollars was also seized. A number of investigations are still ongoing.

Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 260 members and associates of TdA.

“In a few days, the Justice Department and its partners on Joint Task Force Vulcan carried out a nationwide takedown of vicious Tren de Aragua terrorist networks — depraved, violent offenders who have illegally invaded our country and preyed upon American communities,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This effort underscores the Trump Administration’s dedication to restoring public safety, dismantling violent firearms and drug trafficking networks, and enforcing law and order.”

“DEA has been instrumental in dismantling factions of the violent foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, with enforcement actions spanning from Colorado to Tennessee, Florida, and beyond,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “TdA fuels instability and chaos, threatening communities across the United States. By leveraging DEA’s expertise alongside our federal partners through the Homeland Security Taskforce, we are harnessing the full force of the U.S. government to protect and safeguard our nation.”

“Today’s enforcement actions reflect ATF’s unwavering commitment to dismantling violent transnational criminal organizations that traffic in firearms and fuel violence in our communities,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Robert Cekada. “Working with our local, state, and federal partners, we are identifying and disrupting the networks that arm and enable groups like Tren de Aragua. The seizure of firearms and dangerous narcotics underscores the critical nexus between illegal firearms trafficking and drug-related violence. ATF will continue to use every available tool to hold offenders accountable and protect the American public.”

“This is a massive and impactful takedown of over 25 TdA terrorists who wreaked havoc on our streets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our fiercely dedicated federal, state, and local partners continue to put criminals trafficking drugs and guns endangering American lives, in prison in huge numbers. HSTF’s goal is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations in the United States by using all available law enforcement tools to do so.  The incredible work and grit by the all the agencies of the Homeland Security Task Force and Joint Task Force Vulcan paid off with great results in this roundup with more to come.”

“The success of this operation is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our HSI special agents and the unwavering commitment of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “The Homeland Security Task Force’s mission is to safeguard the United States from transnational threats by leveraging intelligence-driven investigations and robust interagency collaboration. This TdA takedown demonstrates the power of unified action in disrupting dangerous criminal networks and protecting our communities.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) follows the money that fuels organizations like Tren de Aragua,” said IRS-CI Chief Jarod Koopman. “The charges against these more than 25 individuals show how financial investigations can expose and dismantle these networks. When we disrupt their finances, we disrupt their ability to traffic drugs, move firearms, and spread violence. Working with our partners through the Homeland Security Task Force, we are protecting communities across the country.”

The operation resulted in numerous federal prosecutions including:  

DISTRICT OF COLORADO:

• Two Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States under the previous Administration’s policies are charged with conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms, and one is charged with distributing “tusi,” a drug containing ketamine and MDMA. According to the criminal complaint and indictment, the defendants are alleged to have sold numerous firearms, including with obliterated serial numbers and several high-capacity firearms and magazines and ammunition, to an ATF undercover agent. The case was investigated by ATF, DEA, and HSI, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. Twelve firearms and “tusi,” containing ketamine and MDMA, were seized in this ongoing investigation.

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE:

• Five defendants including two alleged associates of TdA or of a TdA splinter faction known as “Anti-Tren” have been charged in connection with drug and firearms trafficking. These defendants were arrested in Nashville, Tennessee; Louisiana; and Washington state and are facing several charges including drug trafficking conspiracy, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense, firearms trafficking conspiracy, and other drug and gun trafficking offenses. Three of the five defendants are illegal aliens residing in Nashville, a fourth defendant is a Honduran national and lawful permanent resident residing in Nashville, and the fifth defendant is an illegal alien residing in Kennewick, Washington. The indictment and criminal complaint allege that since approximately 2025, the defendants have participated in trafficking in firearms and narcotics throughout the Middle District of Tennessee and elsewhere. HSI, ATF, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, and other law enforcement agencies conducted multiple undercover operations that have resulted in the seizure of 25 firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, extended magazines, a drum magazine, more than $8,000 cash and seizures of methamphetamine, MDMA and ketamine, and cocaine in the Middle District of Tennessee, with more firearms and narcotics being seized elsewhere as a result of this investigation. Of the 25 firearms seized in the Middle District of Tennessee, eight firearms were previously reported as stolen, and two have been tied to other crimes of violence based upon National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) results. Specifically, a Glock .40 caliber pistol has been preliminarily associated with a shooting in Nashville, that occurred on Nov. 30, 2023. And a Canik 9x19mm pistol has been preliminarily associated with a shooting involving multiple victims in Nashville, on Sept. 17, 2024.

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA:

• A criminal complaint has been filed charging three illegal aliens with alleged ties to TdA, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The three defendants are alleged to be associates of a defendant charged in the Middle District of Tennessee with ties to TdA, who facilitated the sales of large amounts of narcotics and firearms on separate occasions between the three charged defendants and an ATF undercover agent in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. In conjunction with these arrests, ATF agents seized 500 MDMA pills, two firearms, cocaine, ketamine, and methamphetamine.

TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities.

TdA has a splinter faction known as “Anti-Tren” — comprised of current and former members of TdA who are operating without or against the authority of TdA leadership in South America. Members of TdA and Anti-Tren have been identified and arrested across the United States, including in Colorado, Tennessee, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Washington, Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, and elsewhere. Members of TdA and Anti-Tren have also been known to engage in gun trafficking, drug trafficking, burglaries of ATM machines (also known as “ATM jackpotting”), and to coordinate their criminal activities with each other across state lines and with leaders located in South America, including Venezuela and Colombia. These cases are part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target Tren de Aragua. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and the District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.  Additionally, the Bureau of Prisons, FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Homeland Security Task Forces are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.

These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTFs Denver, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Seattle comprise agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Secret Service, among other federal, state, and local partners, with the prosecutions being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Colorado, Southern Florida, Northern Indiana, Middle Tennessee, Western Tennessee, and Eastern Washington.

An indictment and criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

# # #