In a significant crackdown on alleged international gang activities, federal authorities have charged 10 members of the Tren de Aragua, also referred to as TdA, with a slew of charges including racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes. The Southern District of New York's U.S. Attorney's Office announced the Superseding Indictment, with details surfacing that the gang members are connected to a horrific double murder in the Bronx and other criminal activities. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, these crimes include drug and sex trafficking, armed robberies, and the trafficking of controlled substances.
The alleged violence reached a peak on May 24, 2024, with TdA members accused of murdering Claretha LaQuesha Daniels, 44, and Justin Lawless, 36, alongside a third victim who was injured in a shooting outside an apartment building in the Bronx. This specific act of violence, which also resulted in a third victim being shot and injured, highlights the threat TdA poses to local communities. "We are committed to putting cartels, gangs, and others who poison our children and pursue violence as a way of life out of business," Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, emphasized in a statement obtained by the Southern District of New York's U.S. Attorney's Office.
The Tren de Aragua, a group with ties stretching internationally from New York City to Venezuela, Peru, and beyond, has drawn significant attention from homeland security and law enforcement agencies. The charges brought forward detail the group's involvement in a broad range of criminal enterprises, including human smuggling and sex trafficking of young women, known within the organization as "multadas." These women were reportedly coerced into commercial sex work to repay debts after being illegally transported into the United States. Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), New York Field Office's Special Agent in Charge, Ricky J. Patel, described the TdA's tactics, stating, "With ruthless tactics and a disregard for human life, this foreign terrorist organization has become a symbol of unchecked brutality," as per the press release.
Currently, eight of the accused individuals are in federal or state custody, while one, Keiver Silva-Jimenez remains at large, and another, Marlon Farias, was previously removed from the U.S. by immigration authorities. The case, highlighting the expansive reach of TdA, is now under U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.
The case against the Tren de Aragua members is part of a broader effort known as Operation Take Back America, a nationwide campaign aimed at curbing illegal immigration, dismantling criminal cartels, and protecting communities from violence. Led by the Justice Department, this initiative brings together resources from multiple task forces focused on organized crime and public safety. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
