A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas has indicted four Venezuelan nationals, including two of Tren de Aragua’s top three leaders, on terrorism-related charges. This marks the first terrorism indictment of Tren de Aragua members in Texas as law enforcement continues an aggressive crackdown on the violent criminal organization.
The indictments follow the designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year by the Trump administration. The group, which originated in a Venezuelan prison, has since expanded into a transnational criminal syndicate operating in at least 22 U.S. states, largely fueled by the surge of over one million Venezuelans who illegally entered the country under the Biden administration.
The four individuals are charged with conspiring to provide material support to Tren de Aragua and directly providing that support. Two defendants face additional charges for international drug trafficking, accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine in Colombia intended for U.S. markets.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei said the charges demonstrate the threat Tren de Aragua poses to national security and public safety. According to court documents, one of the indicted, Yohan Jose Romero, is a cofounder who directed violent acts, including murder, kidnapping, and extortion both in and outside of the United States. Romero allegedly ran a network that extorted and killed those who failed to pay the group, enriching its leadership and funding further criminal operations.
Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, another senior leader, is said to oversee Tren de Aragua’s operations throughout Colombia, Central America, and the U.S. Two others, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez and Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, are also described as high-ranking operatives engaged in gold and narcotics trafficking.
The FBI and DEA led the investigation with support from multiple agencies, including local law enforcement and Colombian authorities. Martinez Flores was arrested in Colombia on March 31. Mosquera Serrano is now on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List, while Romero and Rivas Nunez remain at large.
If convicted, each defendant faces life in prison and fines of up to $10 million. The U.S. State Department is offering rewards of up to $5 million for Mosquera Serrano and $4 million for Romero. Texas Crime Stoppers is also offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to arrests of Tren de Aragua members.
Tips can be submitted via 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939, or through the FBI’s online tip portal.
