DOJ Drops RICO Hammer on Tren de Aragua in Historic Crackdown

In a major escalation against foreign criminal networks, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice has indicted 27 members and associates of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) a law traditionally used to dismantle mafias and terrorist cells.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Matthew Podolsky announced the sweeping charges Tuesday, calling it a “devastating blow” to one of the most violent international crime syndicates operating inside the United States.

“Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang it’s a highly structured terrorist organization,” Bondi declared. “They’ve trafficked women, flooded our communities with deadly drugs, and terrorized American neighborhoods. Today, we begin the process of dismantling them for good.”

• The 27 individuals were indicted for racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, drug trafficking, robbery, and firearms offenses.

• 19 of the defendants are linked to an internal splinter group dubbed “Anti-Tren.”

• Charges span multiple states, including a heavy focus on New York City, where TdA has plagued neighborhoods in the Bronx and Queens.

This is the first time the DOJ has used RICO statutes to target Tren de Aragua, signaling a new approach in fighting foreign gang infiltration and treating these operations as organized criminal enterprises, not just street-level thuggery.

“This isn’t petty crime,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “This is international racketeering on American soil.”

The DOJ’s indictment paints a dark picture of the gang’s reach, which includes:

• Human trafficking rings bringing vulnerable women into the U.S. for exploitation.

• Carjacking operations used to fund drug routes and black-market trade.

• Drug distribution networks linked to fentanyl and other deadly narcotics.

• Coordinated violence, including murder-for-hire, across U.S. cities.

The move reflects the Trump administration’s hardline stance on immigration and national security, especially regarding violent transnational organizations that have flourished under previous lax border policies.

The crackdown also highlights the administration’s use of tools like the Alien Enemies Act and now RICO, to classify foreign cartel members as enemies of the state and prosecute them accordingly.

This indictment is more than legal action it’s a message: America is no longer a safe haven for foreign crime syndicates.

For years, Tren de Aragua built its empire by exploiting border loopholes and sanctuary city protections. Now, under Trump’s leadership, the gloves are off.

The administration’s next steps include additional arrests, asset seizures, and international cooperation with law enforcement agencies to track down the remaining network leaders hiding in South America.

The war on America’s streets doesn’t end with domestic gangs it extends to the global underworld infecting our cities. And now, with the full weight of the federal government, the fight is on.

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