In a significant law enforcement operation in Houston, 16 individuals supposedly connected to the "Anti-Tren" group, a faction comprising mostly of former Tren de Aragua (TdA) members, were taken into custody on charges of cocaine and firearms trafficking. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the arrests, specifying that the accused are implicated in a turf war with TdA members and have carried out violent acts throughout the city, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.
The multiple charges against these individuals include drug trafficking, specifically the intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine, and various weapons offenses. "These arrests are the largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI, so far, and they happened right here in Houston," FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams said in the statement released by the Department of Justice. Among the indicted, individuals like Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento and Dany E. Rojas, both 28 years old, face potential life imprisonment and up to a $10 million fine if convicted.
Authorities highlighted a mass shooting at Latinas Sports Bar in Houston, orchestrated by some of the Anti-Tren members, as an example of their alleged violent activity. Venezuelan national Jose Miguel Briceno, charged with unlawful possession of ammunition by an alien, is purported to have carried out this shooting where six people were injured, four critically. This incident is just part of the narrative that the U.S. law enforcement is piecing together, emphasizing the reach and impact of transnational organized crime syndicates on local communities.
Moreover, several have been charged separately with distinct weapons offenses based on their purported possession and sale of firearms, facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The collaborative effort by FBI Houston, DEA, ICE, and additional law enforcement agencies underscores the extensive network mobilized to take down operations such as Anti-Tren's. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz, together with Jason Harley from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan, are spearheading the prosecution. This operation also ties into "Operation Take Back America," a nationwide strategy launched by the Department of Justice that aims to fend off illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
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