Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that federal authorities have arrested at least 2,711 individuals affiliated with the Venezuela-based transnational gang Tren de Aragua, marking a significant escalation in efforts to dismantle the group’s operations within the United States, as reported[1] by Newsmax.
“You should all feel safer now,” Bondi told reporters during a briefing at the White House, according to The Washington Times.
Pam Bondi, a former Attorney General of Florida, appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on Feb 23, 2024.
Bondi said the large number of Tren de Aragua operatives who entered the country in recent years was made possible by lax border policies under former President Joe Biden.
She credited President Donald Trump’s current administration for taking decisive action to designate the group as a terrorist organization, enabling the use of the Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations of suspected gang members.
The announcement followed the addition of Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, an alleged senior leader of the gang, to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list on Thursday.
Known by the alias “El Viejo” — meaning “the old man” — Mosquera Serrano, 37, is the first Tren de Aragua member to appear on the Bureau’s top fugitive list[3].
The FBI is offering a $3 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Mosquera Serrano is currently wanted on federal charges of conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated terrorist organization.
The FBI named Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, a senior leader of Tren de Aragua transnational gang, to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List. The US Department of State offers a reward of up to $3 million for info leading to his arrest and/or conviction: https://t.co/TGj5ounlNZ[4]pic.twitter.com/KUcc5zwHdG[5]
He is also charged with conspiracy and cocaine distribution tied to an operation based in Colombia, with the narcotics allegedly destined for the U.S. market.
The FBI believes Mosquera Serrano may be located in either Venezuela or Colombia.
Tren de Aragua[7] originated inside Venezuela’s Tocorón prison system and has since expanded its network into several Latin American countries and across the southern border of the United States.
The gang has been linked to a variety of violent crimes, including human trafficking, extortion, and drug trafficking.
Bondi emphasized that the recent arrests and the crackdown on the organization were made possible through enhanced immigration enforcement and expanded authorities under President Trump.
