Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, an alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang, was taken into custody on Tuesday in the Bronx. He has been charged with firearm and ammunition possession as a fugitive from justice, according to a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court and reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. The gang is known for its violent activities both in Venezuela, its place of origin, and in the U.S., including in communities like New York City.
The arrest follows a multi-agency investigation that led to the discovery of Zambrano-Pacheco and his girlfriend hiding in a Bronx apartment, which, in addition to indicting him as a violent transnational criminal threat, he was found with a Smith and Wesson 9mm Pro Series pistol that was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, according to the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. The collaboration across federal and state jurisdictions underscores the commitment from law enforcement agencies to address gang-related criminal activity on U.S. soil.
The U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon lauded the combined effort saying, "Thanks to the work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, the defendant is now apprehended and members of Tren de Aragua are being brought to justice." The collaborative operations featured contributions by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), NYPD, and officers from Colorado, where Zambrano-Pacheco allegedly committed crimes that included an armed home invasion and a shooting in Aurora, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Zambrano-Pacheco, a 26-year-old Venezuelan national, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted—though the court will determine the sentence, this representation of the maximum penalty is for informational purposes, with "the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty," as emphasized by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Detailed in the complaint, the charges against Zambrano-Pacheco represent an ongoing fight against gang violence and criminal activities from groups like Tren de Aragua, which have infiltrated U.S. cities and resulted in substantial inter-gang conflict, with some members even splitting to form an opposing faction known as "Anti-Tren".
The investigation, spearheaded by numerous law enforcement agencies including HSI New York and Denver, the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office, and the U.S. Border Patrol’s Intelligence Unit, continues as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, and Timothy Ly lead the prosecution.
