Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd M. Lyons visited Florida on Friday to discuss the recent arrest of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member, marking the first U.S. arrest under the Alien Enemies Act, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
The suspect, identified as Jimenez-Bracho, was taken into custody in a joint operation involving FDLE and Homeland Security. Authorities say he is a known member of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization labeled by officials as a “dangerous foreign terrorist organization.”
The arrest comes nearly a week after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act on March 15, 2025, as part of an effort to crack down on Tren de Aragua and other criminal groups. The Alien Enemies Act, passed in 1798, grants the president authority to detain or deport noncitizens deemed a threat to the United States. Historically, it has been used during wartime, and under this law, deportation can occur without immigration court proceedings.
Authorities have not disclosed Jimenez-Bracho’s immigration status or the next legal steps in his case. However, ICE has vowed to aggressively pursue Tren de Aragua members operating within the U.S.
“TDA has infiltrated the U.S. via our northern border, southern border, and our waterways. Some TDA terrorists’ rap sheets and criminal history are extremely extensive. Many of these members are cold-blooded killers, rapists, thieves, drug traffickers, weapons traffickers, and human traffickers. They’re accused of the most heinous crimes,” he said during a Friday afternoon press conference.
