The Trump administration announced sanctions against the leader of Tren de Aragua and other top lieutenants on Thursday amid a broader effort to choke off the transnational criminal organization’s access to cash.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted six leaders of the Venezuelan gang, which has been designated as a foreign terror organization by the Trump administration, including its leader, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores. Also known as Niño Guerrero, he has led the group as it has evolved from a prison gang into a broader criminal entity with a presence in the United States.
“Today’s action highlights the critical role of leaders like Niño Guerrero and his lieutenants in Tren de Aragua’s efforts to increase its destabilizing influence throughout the region,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The sanctions require that any Tren de Aragua property or funds in the United States, or those controlled by American financial institutions, be frozen and reported to the Treasury, thereby restricting the flow of funds back into the hands of the criminal enterprise.
The Treasury notes that Niño Guerrero has been involved in criminal activity for two decades and has led the criminal group as it has become more influential. The State Department is currently offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Guerrero.
The department also sanctioned Yohan Jose Romero, a “close lieutenant” of Guerrero, who the Trump administration says is “responsible for the group’s illegal mining efforts in Venezuela.”
“Johan Petrica provides Tren de Aragua with military-grade weapons used to control the streets of Venezuela and fight against Colombian guerrillas,” the Treasury Department notes.
​​Also sanctioned is Josue Angel Santana Pena, who “is alleged to be involved in homicide, extortion, bombings, terrorism, and theft,” and Niño Guerrero’s wife, Wendy Marbelys Rios Gomez, who the Treasury Department notes is involved in money laundering, terrorism, and terrorist financing.
The Trump administration also sanctioned Wilmer Jose Perez Castillo, who the Treasury Department said has carried out “murders of a policeman, a Venezuelan military official, and Venezuelan intelligence officials” on behalf of the organization.
Felix Anner Castillo Rondon, the leader of a Tren de Aragua cell operating in Chile, has also been sanctioned. His crew is implicated in a range of crimes, including homicides, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of women, narcotics trafficking, and money laundering.
“The Trump Administration will not allow Tren de Aragua to continue to terrorize our communities and harm innocent Americans. In line with President Trump’s mandate to Make America Safe Again, Treasury remains dedicated to dismantling Tren de Aragua and disrupting the group’s campaign of violence.”
The new sanctions come amid a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-treasury-official-reveals-how-the-trump-admin-is-choking-off-cartels-cash-flow?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Treasury+Official+Lays+Out+How+Trump+Is+Choking+Off+Cash+Flow+To+Cartels">sweeping effort</a> by the Treasury Department to cut off cash flow to cartels and gangs in an attempt to eliminate the financial incentives that drive the criminal entities’ drug and human trafficking operations.
Members of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-treasury-dept-launches-sanctions-targeting-sinaloa-cartel">Sinaloa Cartel</a>, the Cartel de Noreste, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion have all been hit with Treasury sanctions since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent

Trump Admin Hits Tren De Aragua Leaders With Sanctions As Venezuelan Gang Infiltrates U.S.

Border

cartel

Crime

Fentanyl

Immigration

Politics

sanction

Treasury

Tren De Aragua

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, secured a major court victory last Thursday when a judge ordered a mental evaluation that could lead to a new trial.
Ibarra, 27, was found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley">guilty</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, who he murdered after she went jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.
According to court documents, Ibarra&#8217;s defense attorneys <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/07/us-news/laken-rileys-killer-jose-ibarra-gets-major-win-for-possible-trial-redo/">claimed</a> he &#8220;lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature and object and proceedings&#8221; and is &#8220;suffering from congenital deficiency which could render the client incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial,&#8221; per the New York Post.
Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a &#8220;prompt evaluation&#8221; to determine if Ibarra was fit to stand trial last year and whether he can assist with his current appeal.
“The mental competence of [Ibarra] has been called into question, and this court has found it appropriate for an evaluation to be conducted at the public expense,” the order reads.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross noted in court filings that there was no evidence during the trial suggesting Ibarra wasn&#8217;t mentally competent, though she didn&#8217;t oppose the evaluation and instead left the decision up to the Judge.
Ibarra, a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Haggard sentenced the illegal immigrant to life in prison without parole.
Ibarra had illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration&#8217;s border crisis, having been detained in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released after approximately one day.
Riley&#8217;s brutal murder shocked the University of Georgia campus and garnered national attention amid heated debates about immigration enforcement.
In January, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Laken+Riley+Act+Into+Law">signed</a> into law the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
The mental evaluation is set to take place either at the Georgia Department of Corrections or at a designated hospital facility. No timeline has been established for when the evaluation results might be available or how quickly the court will rule on potential next steps.
If the mental evaluation finds Ibarra was not competent during his original trial, his defense team could petition for a retrial, potentially setting aside his life sentence and reopening wounds for Riley&#8217;s family and community.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

Judge Grants Laken Riley’s Killer A Path To Possible Retrial

Georgia

Illegal Immigation

Laken Riley

Murder

News

U.S.

An illegal alien and suspected member of foreign terror organization Tren de Aragua has been charged with attempted murder of a federal officer after he violently resisted arrest and attacked FBI and Homeland Security agents.
The 30-year-old Venezuelan illegal alien Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco was hit with the federal charge after he attacked an FBI agent and Homeland Security Investigations agent who attempted to apprehend him in Bellevue, Nebraska.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) explained that Hurtado-Cariaco violently resisted arrest, injuring one agent when the illegal alien sent the agent’s head slamming against the pavement. The suspected Tren de Aragua member also placed one agent in a chokehold during the altercation, not letting go until the other agent placed Hurtado-Cariaco in a chokehold.
“Deadly violence against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated by this Department of Justice,” Attorney General Pam Bondi charged. “We have charged this illegal alien with attempted murder.”
After the attack, Hurtado-Cariaco fled on foot before being successfully captured by the federal agents at his apartment. The injured agent was then transported to the hospital.
&#8220;Federal law enforcement officers are tasked with enforcing the laws of the United States and they must be able to do so safely,” U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods said. “These federal agents maintained their professionalism while being met with potentially fatal violence. Despite sustaining injuries, the agents did not give up and made a successful arrest.”
The illegal alien has since appeared before a judge, who ordered that he must remain in law enforcement custody. Hurtado-Cariaco could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the crime.
“The arrest and prosecution of this vicious Tren de Aragua gang member underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our law enforcement officers in the line of duty,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asserted. “Violent attacks from terrorists against those who serve our communities will be met with swift and decisive justice.”

HSI Agent

Suspected Tren De Aragua Member Charged With Attempted Murder After Attacking Federal Agent

Illegal Immigration

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled 7-2 against the Trump administration&#8217;s attempt to swiftly deport Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act, requiring officials to provide more than 24 hours for detainees to challenge their removal.
&#8220;Under these circumstances, notice roughly 24 hours before removal, devoid of information about how to exercise due process rights to contest that removal, surely does not pass muster,&#8221; the majority wrote.
The unsigned <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24a1007_g2bh.pdf">decision</a> clarified that the Court was only ruling on the notice requirement and not whether the Trump administration can use the Alien Enemies Act itself.
&#8220;To be clear, we decide today only that the detainees are entitled to more notice than was given on April 18,&#8221; the Court stated in its ruling, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-trump-administration-venezuelans-alien-enemies-act-rcna202094">reported</a>.
The Alien Enemies Act, enacted in 1798, allows the president to apprehend and deport citizens of a hostile nation during wartime or invasion.
Administration officials argued that Venezuela&#8217;s government has used Tren de Aragua as a proxy force, effectively weaponizing the gang to destabilize the United States through criminal activity and drug trafficking.
Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, with Alito writing there were no grounds for the Court to intervene &#8220;at such an early stage of the litigation.&#8221;
&#8220;The Court&#8217;s failure to defer to the Executive Branch in immigration matters in which national security is at stake represents an extraordinary departure from our precedents,&#8221; Alito wrote.
The Court did acknowledge it was &#8220;far removed from the circumstances on the ground&#8221; and was not best positioned to determine the exact deportation process that should be followed.
The case has been sent back to an appeals court to establish appropriate due process procedures for the detainees in yet another legal impediment to Trump’s immigration agenda.
President Trump on Friday accused the high court of &#8220;being played by the radical left,&#8221; who only succeed through &#8220;intimidation of the court.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THE SUPREME COURT IS BEING PLAYED BY THE RADICAL LEFT LOSERS, WHO HAVE NO SUPPORT, THE PUBLIC HATES THEM, AND THEIR ONLY HOPE IS THE INTIMIDATION OF THE COURT, ITSELF. WE CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN TO OUR COUNTRY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1923432648103333919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
“Today’s ruling effectively extends the temporary freeze that the justices put on Alien Enemies Act removals from the Northern District of Texas back on April 19,” <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/16/politics/supreme-court-alien-enemies-act">said</a> Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown Law.
“Because lower courts have blocked use of the act in every other district in which the president has sought to invoke it, that means it’s effectively pausing all removals under the act until the 5th Circuit – and, presumably, the Supreme Court itself – conclusively resolves whether they’re legal and how much process is due if so.”

Multiple Storms Dump Snow From Midwest To East Coast This Week

SCOTUS Blocks Trump’s Bid To Resume Swift Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act

Deportations

Supreme Court

Trump Administration

Venezuela

Border Czar Tom Homan announced that the Trump administration’s immigration team would triple the workforce in sanctuary cities, vowing, “We’re gonna flood the zone with officers.”
After teenaged illegal immigrants belonging to &#8220;Los Diablos de 42,” described as a “farm team&#8221; of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragu gang, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nypd-officers-attacked-teenage-gang-times-square/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked NYPD officers</a> on Friday in Times Square, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/tren-de-aragua-gang-violence-times-square" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> that NYPD is coordinating with federal agencies, but added, &#8220;The NYPD does not engage in civil immigration issues—period.&#8221;
Homan slammed Tisch, saying to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, “These people are in the country illegally, and the first thing the police commissioner did up there  — she’s ordered an internal affairs investigation. Did someone call ICE? Because we happened to be at the precinct where some of these people were being processed by happenstance, but now all of a sudden there’s an internal affairs investigation.”
“Who called ICE? We just proved to the city commissioner, we proved to the city council, that wants to lock us out of Rikers Island, that working with Mayor Adams &#8230; we indicted 27 members of TdA through a RICO investigation. &#8230; These are people who are murder-for-hire, drug traffickings, sex trafficking, gun trafficking. We took 27 TdA off the street. ICE, with the cooperation of the NYPD, we showed what our partnership can do.”
In mid-April, the New York City Council <a href="https://council.nyc.gov/news/2025/04/15/new-york-city-council-files-lawsuit-to-stop-mayor-adams-illegal-executive-order-inviting-president-trumps-ice-into-rikers-to-set-up-office-seeking-courts-immediate-halt-of/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a lawsuit</a> asking for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction against Mayor Eric Adams’ <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/home/downloads/pdf/executive-orders/2025/eo-50.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Executive Order 50</a> to invite ICE to operate an office in the Rikers Island jail.
“They’re already pulling back now,” Homan continued. “So the commissioner is more concerned with who called ICE rather than working with ICE to get these people not out of the street, (but) out of the country. &#8230; This is just another example of sanctuary cities not cooperating with ICE and look what happened: NYPD officers are attacked. If you&#8217;re brazen enough to attack an armed law enforcement officer, you&#8217;re much more dangerous to an unarmed civilian.”
Asked by Ingraham what his message was for three illegal immigrants “still on the loose,” Homan replied, “We’re comin’ for ‘em.” He continued, “These are the type of people that AOC brags, ‘Why I’m educating people on their constitutional rights.’ We all know what she’s doing. She’s educating criminals now to evade law enforcement.”
“Well, you know, I’m gonna do a little educating myself: You don’t want to open the door; you don’t want to answer a question; you don’t want to help us with the travel documents that get you removed, that’s a violation of Title VIII, United States Code 1253. It’s a crime. And we’re going to start prosecuting those crimes tomorrow.”
“If you got a final order, and you want to hinder your removal, you want to put roadblocks up and not cooperate, you want to hide and not open the door, then the agency is gonna start prosecuting you criminally,” he warned. “Then, after you get out of jail from that prosecution, then we deport you. Game’s over. We’re gonna look for these public safety threats and we’re gonna take ‘em off the streets in New York and every other sanctuary city. As a matter of fact, every sanctuary city, we’re gonna triple the workforce. We’re gonna flood the zone with officers. If we can’t arrest them in the jail, we’re gonna arrest them in the community. If we can’t arrest them in the community, we’ll arrest them at their worksite.”
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<a href="https://t.co/lHwbFcRUb8">pic.twitter.com/lHwbFcRUb8</a>
&mdash; Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1919937803850297688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tom Homan Joins White House Press Briefing

Border Czar Homan: ‘We’re Gonna Triple The Workforce’ In Sanctuary Cities

illegal immigrants

NYPD

Sanctuary Cities

Tom Homan

President Trump blasted the courts early Saturday after a federal judge blocked his administration from using the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang members.
&#8220;Can it be so that Judges aren&#8217;t allowing the USA to Deport Criminals, including Murderers, out of our Country and back to where they came from?&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114442321106427795">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;If this is so, our Country, as we know it, is finished! Americans will have to get used to a very different, crime filled, LIFE. This is not what our Founders had in mind!!!&#8221; he added.
The ruling came from U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr., who determined Thursday that the 18th-century law can only be used when an &#8220;organized, armed force&#8221; threatens the United States, a standard he did not apply to multinational South American gangs.
Rodriguez rejected the administration&#8217;s argument that the law could target alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang in his 36-page decision.
“The Proclamation makes no reference to and in no manner suggests that a threat exists of an organized, armed group of individuals entering the United States at the direction of Venezuela to conquer the country or assume control over a portion of the nation,” the judge wrote.
“Thus, the Proclamation’s language cannot be read as describing conduct that falls within the meaning of ‘invasion’ for purposes of the AEA,” he added.
The Alien Enemies Act, part of the four Alien and Sedition Acts signed by President John Adams in 1798, has rarely been invoked in modern times. Trump&#8217;s proclamation <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/invocation-of-the-alien-enemies-act-regarding-the-invasion-of-the-united-states-by-tren-de-aragua/">activating</a> the centuries-old law in March represented a significant shift in immigration enforcement strategy, specifically targeting what the administration describes as transnational criminal organizations.
The administration deported more than 100 men to a high-security prison in El Salvador using the AEA, citing their tattoos and other evidence as proof of gang affiliation.
Continuing Trump&#8217;s aggressive immigration agenda, the administration has <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5280834-donald-trump-judge-alien-enemies-act-ruling/">asked</a> the Supreme Court to end deportation protections for over 600,000 Venezuelans currently covered under Temporary Protected Status, per the Hill.
The case was brought by several Venezuelan nationals who claimed they were wrongfully targeted for deportation. Their attorneys argued that tattoos alone were insufficient evidence of gang affiliation and that many individuals were denied the opportunity to contest the allegations against them.
White House officials confirmed that the Justice Department plans to appeal Rodriguez&#8217;s ruling while exploring other legal options to continue the deportation of individuals they identify as gang members. The administration has maintained that aggressive immigration enforcement remains central to its public safety agenda.

President Trump Delivers Speech In Michigan To Mark 100 Days Of His Presidency

Trump Rips Judiciary After Judge Nixes Mass Deportation Plan

Courts

Donald Trump

U.S. District Court Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ruled on Thursday that President Donald Trump and his administration could not use the Alien Enemies Act to uphold the deportations of Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador.
<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txsd.2000771/gov.uscourts.txsd.2000771.58.0_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rodriguez</a> stated that the Act — first enacted in 1798 — did not apply unless the United States was facing an &#8220;armed, organized attack,&#8221; and argued that the influx of illegal alien gang members and terrorists did not meet that particular qualification.
&#8220;The Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and, as a result, is unlawful. [Administration officials] do not possess the lawful authority under the AEA, and based on the Proclamation, to detain Venezuelan aliens, transfer them within the United States, or remove them from the country,&#8221; he wrote in his decision.
The Trump administration argued that Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, a &#8220;designated Foreign Terrorist Organization[,] . . . is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States,&#8221; and based on that, &#8220;all Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies.&#8221;
Rodriguez disagreed, however, but he did leave room for recourse: he also noted in his ruling that once the court determined the definition of &#8220;invasion&#8221; or &#8220;incursion,&#8221; the administration would be free to present any evidence they believed showed such and &#8220;invasion&#8221; or &#8220;incursion&#8221; had, in fact, occurred.
<blockquote>Some issues that Petitioners raise present a political question beyond judicial review. Once a court defines the parameters of what conduct constitutes an &#8220;invasion&#8221; or &#8220;predatory incursion&#8221; for purposes of the AEA, the court leaves to the Executive Branch the determination of whether such conduct has been perpetrated, attempted, or threatened. For example, a court may decide that one aspect of &#8220;invasion&#8221; and &#8220;predatory incursion&#8221; requires physical entry into the United States.
In other words, a court may conclude that no invasion or predatory incursion has occurred or has been threatened if the alleged conduct does not involve the entry of individuals into the country. The court having determined the meaning of these terms, it is left to the Executive Branch to determine whether a foreign nation or government has threatened or perpetrated activity that includes such an entry. As to this decision, the court may not delve into whether the Executive Branch possesses sufficient support for its conclusion, or whether the court agrees with the Executive Branch’s determinations.</blockquote>

Photo courtesy of The White House

Federal Judge Nixes Trump’s Use Of Alien Enemies Act To Deport Criminal Illegals

Federal Judge Nixes Trump's Use Of Alien Enemies Act To Deport Criminal Illegals

illegal alien

Nearly 600 individuals with ties to terror organizations entered the United States and were granted asylum by the Biden administration, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said during a cabinet meeting Wednesday.
The finding came after Gabbard directed the National Counterterrorism Center to identify cartel members present in the United States, as well as those who’ve attempted to enter the country through legal or illegal means.
“Because of your designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, I took immediate action with our National Counterterrorism Center to prioritize their focus on those terrorists and gang members who are trying to enter our country through legal or illegal means and to seek out those who are already here in our country because of the Biden administration’s four years of open borders,” Gabbard told President Donald Trump during Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
“Just the other day, we found 700 alien terrorists who have ties to MS-13, Tren de Aragua, and the Sinaloa cartel,” Gabbard said. “Just yesterday, our NCTC identified almost 600 individuals with ties to other terrorists who came through our border illegally, claimed asylum, and under the Biden administration were paroled here within our borders.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
JUST IN: <a href="https://twitter.com/ODNIgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ODNIgov</a>&#8216;s National Counterterrorism Center identified 600 individuals with ties to terrorists who came through our borders illegally, claimed asylum, and under the Biden administration, were paroled here within our borders. <a href="https://t.co/lgLVBLsst0">pic.twitter.com/lgLVBLsst0</a>
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1917646293091971517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Gabbard explained that her Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is working alongside the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to locate these illegal alien terrorists.
Gabbard’s efforts come after Trump <a href="https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designations-of-international-cartels/">designated</a> eight different gangs and cartels, including Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terror organizations.
The Trump administration has recently taken a slate of actions designed to cripple terror organizations like Tren de Aragua.
Homeland Security Investigations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-say-theyve-captured-tren-de-aragua-leader-who-flaunted-grenades-on-social-media?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Feds+Say+They%E2%80%99ve+Captured+Tren+De+Aragua+Leader+Who+Flaunted+Grenades+On+Social+Media">captured</a> a man who they say is a leader of Tren de Aragua in Los Angeles over the weekend. The Venezuelan national, who was identified despite his use of a fake name, flaunted a stash of grenades on social media before his arrest.
That arrest came after federal law enforcement from a wide range of agencies, from the Department of Homeland Security to the IRS, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multi-agency-raid-hits-tren-de-aragua-hotspot-officials-take-more-than-100-into-custody?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Multi-Agency+Raid+Hits+Tren+De+Aragua+Hotspot%3A+Officials+Take+More+Than+100+Into+Custody">arrested</a> more than 100 people at an underground nightclub that was being used by Tren de Aragua in Colorado.

MS-13 Member

Biden Gave Asylum To Nearly 600 Migrants With Terrorism Ties, Trump Says

MS-13 Gang

Terrorism

Federal agents arrested a Venezuelan illegal alien who flaunted his stash of grenades on social media and is believed to be a leader of the vicious Tren de Aragua.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Yonaiker Gallegos, who posed with an AR-15 and several grenades online, in Los Angeles County on Friday.
“On Tuesday evening April 22, 2025, HSI was able to locate Gallegos who was utilizing the false name Yoniaker Rafel MARTINEZ-RAMOS, who was in state custody in Los Angeles County on misdemeanor charges,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/1917040814745915616">statement</a> to Fox News.
The HSI National Gang Unit was able to identify the suspected Tren de Aragua leader as Yonaiker Gallegos after cross-referencing booking photos and social media images, using facial comparison tools to confirm his true identity. HSI successfully took Gallegos into custody for violations of Title 8, an immigration policy.
The arrest marks the latest crackdown by the Trump administration on the violent Venezuelan gang. The criminal enterprise was one of eight cartel and gang organizations <a href="https://www.state.gov/terrorist-designations-of-international-cartels/">designated</a> as a foreign terrorist organization by Trump’s State Department.
A multi-agency raid over the weekend resulted in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multi-agency-raid-hits-tren-de-aragua-hotspot-officials-take-more-than-100-into-custody?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Multi-Agency+Raid+Hits+Tren+De+Aragua+Hotspot%3A+Officials+Take+More+Than+100+Into+Custody">capture</a> of over 100 illegal aliens at an underground nightclub in Colorado that authorities say was being used by Tren de Aragua members. The raid, which was carried out by agents from the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and even the United States Postal Service and IRS, also resulted in the seizure of drugs and weapons.
Trump’s Department of Justice recently charged 27 current and former suspected Tren de Aragua members under the Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), leveraging a law best known for its use against the mafia against cartels. The charges, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, spanned three different states and “will devastate TdA’s infrastructure.”
The administration also employed the Alien Enemies Act to expedite the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leave-now-trump-admin-vows-to-keep-deporting-suspected-gang-members-after-scotus-win?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘LEAVE+NOW’%3A+Trump+Admin+Vows+To+Keep+Deporting+Suspected+Gang+Members+After+SCOTUS+Win">deportation </a> of Tren de Aragua members to El Salvador&#8217;s Terrorism Confinement Center. Now the administration is locked in an ongoing l<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/26/texas-judge-venezuela-deportation-tren-de-aragua/83298669007/">egal battle</a> with federal judges over its use of the law to remove the criminal aliens.

HSI Arrest

Feds Say They’ve Captured Tren De Aragua Leader Who Flaunted Grenades On Social Media

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The Drug Enforcement Agency&#8217;s (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division led a multi-agency raid early Sunday morning, swarming a nightclub that was being used as a base for Tren de Aragua gang members, and coming out with over 100 illegal immigrants in custody.
The DEA shared video from the raid, which included assistance from the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, during which they also recovered weapons and drugs.
&#8220;#DEA Rocky Mountain led a multi-agency enforcement operation along with our local and federal partners early this morning. @DHSGov has taken more than 100 illegal aliens into custody. Drugs and weapons have also been seized at this underground nightclub in Colorado Springs,&#8221; the caption read.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DEA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DEA</a> Rocky Mountain led a multi-agency enforcement operation along with our local and federal partners early this morning.<a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> has taken more than 100 illegal aliens into custody. Drugs and weapons have also been seized at this underground nightclub in Colorado Springs. <a href="https://t.co/R4Smb3voAg">pic.twitter.com/R4Smb3voAg</a>
&mdash; DEARockyMountain (@DEAROCKYMTNDiv) <a href="https://twitter.com/DEAROCKYMTNDiv/status/1916459097404080541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff and adviser to President Donald Trump, added, &#8220;Early this morning, DOJ and DHS launched a joint raid of an illegal alien underground nightclub used by TDA in Colorado. More to come &#8230;&#8221;
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Early this morning, DOJ and DHS launched a joint raid of an illegal alien underground nightclub used by TDA in Colorado. More to come… <a href="https://t.co/70UPGUSjCe">https://t.co/70UPGUSjCe</a>
&mdash; Stephen Miller (@StephenM) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1916492155905835434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In the hours since, additional reports have filled in some key details about who was involved in the raid — and who was apprehended.
Attorney General Pam Bondi explained, &#8220;This morning @DEAHQ apprehended over 100 illegal aliens at an underground night club frequented by Tda and MS-13 terrorists. Cocaine, meth, and pink cocaine was seized. 2 people were also arrested on existing warrants. As we approach his 100 days in office @POTUS Trump’s directive to make America safe again is achieving results!&#8221;
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This morning <a href="https://twitter.com/DEAHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DEAHQ</a> apprehended over 100 illegal aliens at an underground night club frequented by Tda and MS-13 terrorists. Cocaine, meth, and pink cocaine was seized. 2 people were also arrested on existing warrants.
As we approach his 100 days in office <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> Trump’s… <a href="https://t.co/DvYUNrmzvd">pic.twitter.com/DvYUNrmzvd</a>
&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/1916515090418839624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin added, &#8220;Spotted in this video helping make arrests of illegal aliens at this Colorado underground nightclub. US Postal Service police IRS Criminal Investigations Along with ICE, DEA, &amp; FBI. Trump admin taking a whole of federal gov approach to bring in every agency for deportations.&#8221;
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Spotted in this video helping make arrests of illegal aliens at this Colorado underground nightclub.
US Postal Service police IRS Criminal Investigations
Along with ICE, DEA, &amp; FBI.
Trump admin taking a whole of federal gov approach to bring in every agency for deportations. <a href="https://t.co/OO6NMpqLfg">https://t.co/OO6NMpqLfg</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1916536549308563951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The party is OVER. Law and order has returned. Under the leadership of @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem, we are taking a whole of government approach to removing criminal illegal aliens from American communities,&#8221; the official DHS account posted.
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The party is OVER. Law and order has returned. 
Under the leadership of <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> Trump and <a href="https://twitter.com/Sec_Noem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sec_Noem</a>, we are taking a whole of government approach to removing criminal illegal aliens from American communities. <a href="https://t.co/lUoGCxYdZg">https://t.co/lUoGCxYdZg</a>
&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1916578183303901457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The news of the Colorado Springs raid comes just days after a four-day multi-agency operation in Florida — referred to as Operation Tidal Wave — netted the captures of some 800 illegal aliens.
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In a first-of-its-kind partnership between state and federal partners, ICE Miami and Florida law enforcement arrested nearly 800 illegal aliens this week during the first four days of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OperationTidalWave?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OperationTidalWave</a> — a massive, multi-agency, immigration enforcement crackdown.
💡Learn how… <a href="https://t.co/LbH3j4OJU9">pic.twitter.com/LbH3j4OJU9</a>
&mdash; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov/status/1916149859217719528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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US-POLITICS-GANG-MS-13

Multi-Agency Raid Hits Tren De Aragua Hotspot: Officials Take More Than 100 Into Custody

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Justice

Drug Enforcement Agency

Federal agents arrested a former New Mexico Democrat judge and his wife on Thursday after they were accused of harboring a suspected member of Tren de Aragua at their home. 
Former Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Jose “Joel” Cano and his wife, Nancy, were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at their home in Las Cruces, KFOX14 <a href="https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/home-of-ex-judge-raided-after-claims-of-hosting-tren-de-aragua-gang-member-in-las-cruces-cristhian-ortega-lopez-dona-ana-county-venezuela-joel-cano-nancy-tda-nm-hsi-homeland-security" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Both the 67-year-old former judge and his wife are <a href="https://apps.donaanacounty.org/www/sites/all/modules/dac/dac_inmates/dac_create_pdf.php?&amp;GCode=4&amp;FelonID=2500003171&amp;FelonPIC=387831&amp;CurrentFlag=0">charged</a> with tampering with evidence. 
The couple is currently in custody at the Dona Ana County Jail, awaiting their appearance in federal court. They were arrested as part of a probe by Homeland Security Investigations into their association with 23-year-old Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, who authorities say is linked to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Ortega-Lopez was arrested at the Canos&#8217; home in February. 
“Under President Trump, we have arrested over 150,000 aliens—including more than 600 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/1915559976229052564">said</a>, commenting on the arrest. “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you and lock you up. That’s a promise.”
Cano resigned from his judgeship earlier this week and was banned by the New Mexico Supreme Court from holding any judicial office again. The court <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-mexico-supreme-court-bans-judge-after-alleged-tda-member-arrested-home">ordered</a> that Cano “shall never again hold, become a candidate for, run for, or stand for election to any New Mexico judicial office in the future.”
Ortega-Lopez, originally from Venezuela, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-judge-resigns-after-harboring-alleged-tren-de-aragua-gang-member" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was accused</a> of illegal entry to the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. He spent three days in Border Patrol custody before he was released because of overcrowded facilities at the Border Patrol’s South Laredo, Texas, processing center, according to court records, the Albuquerque Journal <a href="https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_47926b51-d481-4aa9-8d76-5de8cc13809b.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJwuu9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHn4jO0OhVrwODcJdaJgEwwkzhtKl5MdUs320h3z25_0FkfgnT9xnpoaAox6a_aem_F7zjdLNkrsY9LSG6RfZRmA">reported</a>. He met Nancy in El Paso, where he was working as a construction worker and handyman, and she offered for him to stay in a small house behind their home.
Ortega-Lopez has been charged with being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and is seen in court documents holding guns.
Cano has denied any knowledge of the suspected ties between Ortega-Lopez and Tren De Aragua. Investigators have said that they have text messages and voice mail messages that confirm the links to the notorious gang.
“Let me be as crystal clear as possible,” Cano <a href="https://www.koat.com/article/las-cruces-former-judge-allegations-gang-new-mexico/64583129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New Mexico Supreme Court. “The very first time I ever heard that the boys could possibly have any association with Tren de Aragua was when I was informed of that by [the] agents on the day of the raid.”

MixCollage-25-Apr-2025-09-44-AM-6237

Former Judge And Wife Arrested, Accused Of Housing Suspected Venezuelan Gang Member

Kristi Noem

New Mexico

According to the FBI, some Venezuelan government officials, in order to erode public safety in the United States, “likely facilitate” the migration of Tren de Aragua gang members to the United States.
Tren de Aragua has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
The Venezuelan move to destabilize other countries also includes Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-government-uses-tren-de-aragua-proxies-undermine-us-public-safety-fbi-assessment-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, adding, “The FBI assesses that in the next six to 18 months, Venezuelan government officials likely will attempt to leverage Tren de Aragua members in the United States as proxy actors to threaten, abduct and kill members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the United States who are vocal critics of [Venezuala President Nicolás] Maduro and his regime.”
“These findings should shock Americans but not the law enforcement community,” an unnamed Trump administration official told Fox Digital. “They reflect the sentiments of numerous other intelligence assessments across multiple agencies. Nicholas Maduro is a Marxist dictator who hijacked a once-prosperous Venezuela and brought in nothing but total economic collapse and gang takeover. He crumbled Caracas, now overrun with drugs and violence, and wants to do the same across the United States by sending his most violent and dangerous criminals into our communities.&#8221;
“The Trump administration will continue to use every authority in our power to make sure these TdA terrorists, who are some of the worst in the world, are kept out of our country,&#8221; the official continued. “The American people voted overwhelmingly to make America safe again, and that is exactly what we will do.&#8221;
On April 18, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-103919f71db9a9e7a9a3de1028585483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, “A new U.S. intelligence assessment found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government, contradicting statements that Trump administration officials have made to justify their invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and deporting Venezuelan migrants, according to U.S. officials. The classified assessment from the National Intelligence Council, released this month, is more comprehensive and authoritative than an earlier intelligence product released Feb. 26 and reported last month by The New York Times.”
Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard reacted harshly, writing on X:
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The weaponization of intelligence to undermine the President’s agenda is an assault on democracy. Those behind this illegal leak of classified intelligence, twisted and manipulated to convey the exact opposite finding, will be held accountable under the full force of the law. Rooting out this politicization of intelligence is exactly what President Trump campaigned on and what Americans overwhelmingly voted for. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence fully supports the assessment that the foreign terrorist organization, Tren De Aragua, is acting with the support of the Maduro Regime, and thus subject to arrest, detention and removal as alien enemies of the United States.
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The weaponization of intelligence to undermine the President’s agenda is an assault on democracy. Those behind this illegal leak of classified intelligence, twisted and manipulated to convey the exact opposite finding, will be held accountable under the full force of the law.…
&mdash; DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1914449185618767911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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An official from the office of DNI said the information Fox News Digital was reporting was “based on intelligence that the illegal leakers and propaganda media conveniently did not include because it gets in the way of their biased narrative and attempt to deceive the American people.”

27 alleged gang members indicted in New York City

FBI: Maduro’s Venezuelan Govt Helping Tren De Aragua Terrorist Group Migrate To U.S.

Nicolas Maduro

Terrorists

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