Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toured the El Salvador prison holding hundreds of alleged members of Tren de Aragua who were deported from the U.S. (Credit: Pool)
The release of the unclassified information to Fox News Digital comes after the Trump administration filed its first racketeering charges — also known as RICO charges, which include conspiring to commit murder, sex-trafficking, assault, dealing drugs and more — against Tren de Aragua members and its associates in New York Tuesday.
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That case was part of "Operation Take Back America," which it said is a "nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."
The charges filed against 27 alleged current and former Tren de Aragua members include human smuggling, sex trafficking and murder.
In this handout photo provided by the Salvadoran government, guards escort the inmates allegedly linked to criminal organizations at the country's infamous CECOT prison, March 16, 2025, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (Salvadoran Government via Getty Images)
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 in the past couple of days.
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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi commented on the RICO charges, saying: "Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country."
"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."
Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/venezuelan-government-uses-tren-de-aragua-proxies-undermine-us-public-safety-fbi-assessment-finds