The Trump administration reports nearly 1,300 arrests linked to the Venezuelan criminal organization since January 2025, with federal prosecutions targeting murder, kidnapping, human trafficking and multimillion-dollar financial fraud operations.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Federal authorities have arrested 1,296 suspected members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to newly released enforcement figures documenting a nationwide operation targeting violent gang activity, financial crimes and transnational trafficking networks.

The arrests occurred between Jan. 20, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2026, through coordinated investigations involving the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and federal Homeland Security Task Forces. The White House described the initiative as the largest federal operation against transnational crime in U.S. history, citing the number of suspects apprehended and the range of criminal enterprises under investigation.

The October 15 enforcement figures reported by the Washington Examiner show that federal agencies have targeted alleged gang members across the country, including individuals accused of murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, robbery and other offenses.

“There is no sanctuary for these terrorists,” DHS declared in an October 15 statement announcing the arrest total.

The administration’s campaign follows the State Department’s February 2025 designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and specially designated global terrorist. The designation expanded the federal government’s ability to pursue the organization through counterterrorism authorities, financial sanctions and criminal investigations.

Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela and developed into an international criminal network with operations extending across Latin America and into the United States. Federal investigators have linked the organization to kidnapping, extortion, drug distribution, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, violent assaults and financial fraud.

The designation followed Trump’s January 2025 executive order identifying Tren de Aragua and other transnational criminal organizations as threats to national security. Federal authorities subsequently increased coordination among immigration enforcement agencies, federal prosecutors and criminal investigators to identify members and disrupt their activities.

The Department of Justice has separately charged nearly 350 Tren de Aragua members and associates with federal crimes, according to an October 2 announcement detailing the capture of a wanted gang leader.

“Since President Trump designated Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, the Department of Justice has charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with brutal violent crimes,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “The capture and arrest of Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre marks yet another success for the Homeland Security Task Force and Joint Task Force Vulcan. We will continue to break up narcoterrorist finance networks, prosecute violent criminals, and keep American neighborhoods safe.”

The October operation resulted in the apprehension of Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre, a 50-year-old Venezuelan national accused of developing sophisticated computer malware used to steal money from automated teller machines across the United States.

Canelon Aguirre, also known as “Prometheus” and “The Engineer,” had been added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in March 2026. Prosecutors allege he helped develop the technology underlying an extensive ATM fraud conspiracy that generated millions of dollars in illicit proceeds connected to Tren de Aragua.

The operation involved software designed to manipulate ATM systems into dispensing cash without properly recording withdrawals against customer accounts, a technique commonly known as ATM jackpotting.

According to federal investigators, the criminal network used specially developed malware to bypass security protections, conceal unauthorized activity and remove evidence of its operations. The proceeds allegedly supported gang members operating in multiple countries.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said Canelon Aguirre played an important role in the development of the technology used to finance the criminal organization.

“Anibal Canelon Aguirre served as a key architect of sophisticated malware used to drain ATMs of cash across the United States — technology that helped fuel the criminal operations of the violent transnational organization Tren de Aragua (TdA),” Duva said.

Federal investigators linked the broader conspiracy to attempted or completed ATM attacks in 47 states, Washington, D.C., and several foreign countries. Approximately 120 defendants have been charged in the District of Nebraska in connection with the investigation.

Canelon Aguirre faces federal charges involving conspiracy to commit bank fraud, computer-related financial crimes, money laundering and providing material support to terrorists. He pleaded not guilty during an October 2 court appearance in Nebraska and remains detained pending trial.

The Treasury Department also imposed sanctions against Canelon Aguirre and individuals connected to the gang’s financial activities, seeking to prevent the organization from accessing American financial institutions or benefiting from criminal proceeds.

“President Trump’s administration will not allow terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua to exploit the U.S. financial system or enrich themselves through theft and other criminal activity targeting American individuals and businesses,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

The financial investigation represents one component of a broader enforcement effort that has produced prosecutions involving violent crimes in several states.

In July, the Justice Department announced charges against eight alleged Tren de Aragua members in Texas and Illinois involving kidnappings, murders, firearms offenses and racketeering-related activity.

Federal authorities said the defendants were believed to be Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States illegally between December 2021 and April 2024, during the Biden administration.

The cases involved allegations that gang members used violence to maintain control over criminal operations, intimidate victims and witnesses, and protect revenue-generating activities.

Prosecutors have described Tren de Aragua as an organization that seeks to preserve its influence through violence while generating income from human trafficking, drug distribution, migrant smuggling, armed robberies and other criminal enterprises.

The government also alleges that members have threatened witnesses and targeted individuals who interfere with their activities, complicating investigations and prosecutions.

The July charges followed a separate June announcement that four Tren de Aragua members pleaded guilty to the murders of two American citizens in New York City.

The defendants admitted participating in the May 24, 2024, shootings of Claretha LaQuesha Daniels and Justin Lawless in the Bronx. A third victim was wounded during the attack.

The guilty pleas represented a significant development in the Justice Department’s effort to prosecute gang-related violence, with authorities emphasizing that the defendants had entered the country illegally before participating in the killings.

Federal officials say the combined investigations have helped weaken the organization’s leadership, financial support systems and ability to operate openly in American communities.

The administration has also linked its immigration enforcement campaign to broader reductions in violent crime, citing national public safety trends that have continued into 2026.

According to statistics released by the White House in July, homicides declined 18% during the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. Carjackings fell 47%, motor vehicle thefts dropped 20%, robberies declined 17%, and residential burglaries decreased 13%.

Those figures originated from a Council on Criminal Justice analysis examining 13 categories of crime across 36 large and midsize American cities. The organization found declines in nine categories and reported that homicides were down 51% from their most recent peak in 2022.

The findings suggest the national homicide rate could reach an exceptionally low historical level if the trend continues through the remainder of the year.

Although the administration has cited its enforcement operations as contributing to improved public safety, the crime figures cover overall criminal activity rather than offenses specifically associated with Tren de Aragua. The research does not establish that the gang arrests caused the broader reductions.

Criminologists have identified several potential factors behind falling crime rates, including changes in policing, local prevention efforts and broader developments affecting criminal activity.

For federal investigators, the Tren de Aragua operation remains focused on identifying suspected members, dismantling financial networks and prosecuting individuals accused of violent offenses.

The Homeland Security Task Forces bring together personnel from multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service and federal prosecutors.

Joint Task Force Vulcan, originally established in 2019 to combat MS-13, has also expanded its mission to pursue Tren de Aragua and related criminal organizations.

The collaboration allows investigators to coordinate cases across jurisdictions, identify connections between seemingly unrelated crimes and pursue suspects involved in criminal enterprises operating beyond state or international borders.

The latest arrest total reflects the administration’s continuing emphasis on dismantling the Venezuelan gang through criminal prosecutions, immigration enforcement and financial investigations.

While the government has announced 1,296 arrests and nearly 350 federal criminal charges, those figures represent different enforcement categories and do not establish that everyone arrested has been convicted. Defendants facing unresolved criminal charges remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Federal authorities say additional investigations remain underway as the administration continues targeting Tren de Aragua’s operations, leadership and financial infrastructure throughout the United States.

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