Major Indictments Against Torren de Aragua Gang
Federal officials have charged over 25 alleged members and associates of the Torren de Aragua (TdA) gang. This comes alongside the seizure of more than 80 firearms, 18 kilograms of various drugs, and over $100,000 in cash, all part of a significant crackdown on the gang’s activities.
Last year, then-President Donald Trump bolstered federal actions by classifying TdA as a foreign terrorist organization. So far, indictments against more than 260 individuals linked to TdA have been filed.
“The FBI, along with our interagency partners, continues to dismantle violent gang networks across the country, and today’s operation is a prime example,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel. He emphasized that under Trump’s leadership and the established Homeland Security Task Force, efforts to make America safer are ongoing, with a commitment to eradicating these criminal networks.
Federal Charges Across Multiple States
The operation focused on suspected TdA activities such as gun trafficking, drug distribution, and other violent crimes. Investigators reported finding fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, MDMA, and a pink powder variant containing ketamine and MDMA during the raids.
Charges have been brought forth in six U.S. attorney’s districts, including Colorado, southern Florida, northern Indiana, middle and western Tennessee, and eastern Washington.
This operation underlines the administration’s efforts to dismantle foreign gangs operating in the U.S. TdA has been increasingly scrutinized by law enforcement regarding its ties to violent crime, drug trafficking, and other offenses.
John Condon, the acting deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), remarked that the success of this operation illustrates the commitment and expertise of HSI agents and law enforcement partners at all levels.
“The mission of the Select Committee on Homeland Security is focused on shielding the United States from transnational threats. This action against TdA highlights the benefit of collaborative efforts to dismantle dangerous criminal networks,” he added.
