Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced new charges against eight members of the foreign terrorist group Tren de Aragua (TDA) on Wednesday, accusing them of murder, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. Blanche stated that all eight individuals entered the United States illegally during the Biden administration, between December 2021 and April 2024, and that their presence in the country reflects what he called the «madness» of the previous administration's border policies.
In one case, five alleged TDA members were charged in connection with the murder of a father in the Dallas area and the kidnapping of his 13-year-old daughter and 12-year-old nephew. According to Ryan Raybould, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, the gang members forcibly removed the man and the two children from an apartment complex in the middle of the night on August 24, 2024. The victims had their hands zip-tied while the gang demanded money. When the man could not pay, the group pulled over near a bridge in Dallas and ordered him to jump. After he refused and attempted to flee, a TDA member shot him execution-style in front of the children. The children were later found unharmed, walking along a highway service road. The victim was identified by local media as 33-year-old Nilzult Arneaud Petit.
In a separate case in the Chicago area, three alleged TDA members were charged in connection with the abduction and murder of an 18-year-old man. Andrew Boutrous, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said the victim was kidnapped from a park in broad daylight, had his hands tied behind his back, was held in an apartment for hours, and was ultimately shot multiple times in the head and body. The victim's lifeless body was left face down in a bathtub in an abandoned apartment unit. Boutrous added that someone later called the victim's mother to tell her where to find her son's body. Local outlet CWB Chicago identified the victim as Cristian Jose Rojas Barrios.
Blanche lamented the violence, stating, «None of these men should have been in this country. The father in Texas should be alive today. His daughter and nephew should have never been kidnapped. The young victim in Chicago should be alive.» He argued that these crimes occurred because of what he described as «open border policies» under the Biden administration, which he said allowed hundreds of suspected and convicted TDA terrorists to enter the country.
Tren de Aragua, which translates to «Train from Aragua,» is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated in Venezuela during the rule of former socialist leader Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump, as one of his first actions upon returning to office, issued an executive order designating TDA as a foreign terrorist organization. According to Blanche, since Trump's return, nearly 350 TDA members and associates have been charged or convicted of violent crimes, including murders, sex trafficking, and kidnappings. Additionally, 350 TDA members have been charged with weapons offenses, drug trafficking, and financial crimes such as robbery and ATM «jackpotting.»
FBI Director Kash Patel reported that the agency has arrested 29,000 violent gang members since Trump was sworn in and has disrupted or dismantled 2,700 gangs nationwide, a 365% increase compared to the same period under the Biden administration. Patel also noted a 519% increase in arrests specifically related to Tren de Aragua.
The five individuals charged in the Dallas case are Hector Garcia Zuniga, also known as «Murray,» Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, Jhonny Jesus Serrano, Yonatan Toro Gonzalez, and Ehiker Mendoza. Garcia Zuniga was identified as a high-ranking TDA member facing additional racketeering charges, including murder, kidnapping, and jackpotting across state and international borders. In the Chicago case, Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, Jose Pacheco Torres, and a third individual are being charged.
Blanche emphasized that the Justice Department remains committed to holding violent criminals accountable and preventing further tragedies. The announcement comes as the Trump administration continues to prioritize border security and the dismantling of transnational criminal organizations.
