This image shows two Tren de Aragua gang members caught at the southern border. (U.S. Border Patrol)
Podolsky said that the indictments "make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets."
The charges were filed in two separate indictments, the first against six alleged current members of Tren de Aragua and the second against 21 alleged members and associates of a splinter gang known as "Anti-Tren," which consists of former TdA members.
The Trump State Department has designated Tren de Aragua, as well as several other migrant gangs present throughout the U.S., as foreign terrorist organizations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said that 21 of the 27 alleged gang members and associates are currently in federal custody. The statement said that 16 were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five were arrested over the last couple of days.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
"Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang," said Bondi. "It is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities."
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch also praised the operations, saying that "for the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is."
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"This gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers," said Tisch. "As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns. Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up."
The U.S. Attorney’s Office statement also mentioned that this case received significant support from Joint Task Force Vulcan, a collection of U.S. attorneys’ offices and law enforcement agencies that was created in 2019 to eradicate the Salvadoran gang MS-13 and has now expanded to target Tren de Aragua.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-admin-files-first-racketeering-charges-against-massive-migrant-terrorist-group-present-u-s