U.S. Charges Tren de Aragua Leader in Manhattan With Terrorism, RICO and Drug Crimes
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan federal court have unsealed an indictment charging Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, the alleged leader of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, with racketeering, terrorism support, drug importation and firearms offenses. The move could reshape how U.S. law enforcement targets transnational gangs now designated as terrorism threats.
The charges escalate legal pressure on Guerrero Flores and his network, which U.S. authorities say evolved from a Venezuelan prison gang into a foreign terrorist organization engaged in violence, extortion, drug trafficking and other crimes across North America, South America and Europe. Guerrero Flores remains at large, raising questions over how quickly he may be apprehended.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, prosecutors allege Guerrero Flores ordered and facilitated acts of terrorism and violence in the United States and abroad, operating a criminal enterprise that laundered money, trafficked narcotics, sold weapons and orchestrated violent crimes. Authorities also note this indictment comes as part of a broader effort that has charged more than 30 other Tren de Aragua members or associates in New York alone.
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The U.S. State Department has offered up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores’s arrest or conviction, highlighting the priority placed on capturing the fugitive leader.
“As alleged, he has been the mastermind of Tren de Aragua’s evolution from a prison gang into a transnational terrorist organization,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
The development underscores the Justice Department’s intensified focus on dismantling international crime syndicates tied to terrorist designations, reflecting broader national security concerns over their reach into U.S. communities.
Prosecutors now face the challenge of locating Guerrero Flores and bringing him to trial, with federal agencies coordinating across jurisdictions to track the fugitive.
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