Federal prosecutors on Thursday unsealed sweeping terrorism and racketeering indictments against more than 70 Tren de Aragua (TdA) members — a rapid escalation in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on a foreign cartel that officials say has driven violence, chaos and transnational crime into the U.S.

The gang members are accused of committing violent crimes including murder, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, money laundering and drug trafficking in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas and New York.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the crackdown reflects the directive she issued at the start of the Trump administration to prioritize dismantling violent transnational groups.

"Immediately upon taking office, I directed the Department of Justice to fiercely pursue the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations," she said. "This latest multi-state series of charges underscores the Trump administration’s unwavering commitment to restoring public safety, dismantling violent trafficking networks and ridding our country of Tren de Aragua terrorists."

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) said a federal grand jury in Colorado had indicted two alleged TdA leaders on charges including RICO conspiracy.

The indictment alleges that the defendants carried out crimes for TdA between May 2024 and March 2025 through a pattern of racketeering that included robbery, extortion, money laundering and drug offenses.

The two defendants have also been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and firearms offenses linked to armed heists at two Denver jewelry stores in June 2024.

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In Nebraska, a federal grand jury returned two indictments charging 54 individuals, some associated with TdA, with leading and facilitating a scheme to use malware to steal millions of dollars from U.S. banks by hacking ATMs.

Some defendants are also charged with providing material support for terrorism and with conspiracies to commit money laundering, bank fraud, bank burglary, and computer fraud and abuse.

A federal grand jury in New Mexico returned an indictment against 11 alleged TdA members and leaders on racketeering charges. The suspects are accused of kidnapping, interrogating and strangling a victim in an Albuquerque apartment before burying his body in a remote desert grave, the DOJ said.

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Prosecutors also allege that several defendants were involved in an armed confrontation at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, where rival groups exchanged gunfire and one person was killed.

As prosecutors detailed the charges on Thursday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the cartel’s reach across U.S. communities underscores why federal authorities are escalating their pursuit.

"Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that exploits our borders to bring murder, drugs and chaos into American communities," Blanche said. "This Department is crushing their leadership, dismantling their networks and cutting off their money across the United States. There will be no safe haven here. If you cross our border to commit violent crime, we will find you, prosecute you and put you away."

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Prosecutors unsealed an indictment in New York against Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as "Nino Guerrero," in connection with a leadership role in TdA throughout North America, South America and Europe.

The DOJ said Guerrero Flores served as either leader or co-leader of the gang for more than a decade, describing him as the mastermind of TdA’s expansion across the Western Hemisphere.

"While operating from Venezuela and elsewhere, Guerrero Flores ordered, directed, facilitated and supported acts of violence and terrorism transcending national boundaries, including murders, kidnappings, extortions and maiming against victims located inside and outside the United States, and facilitated the transport of tons of cocaine from Venezuela to the United States," the DOJ press release read.

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Guerrero Flores is currently at large and the Department of State is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

In Texas, federal prosecutors unsealed a six-count superseding indictment charging four Venezuelan nationals with conspiring to provide material support to TdA and with conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Colombia for distribution in the U.S.

According to court records, two of the Venezuelan nationals are top leaders of TdA, with one allegedly exercising command and control over all the gang’s criminal operations.

The other two suspects are high-ranking TdA members who operate out of multiple South American countries and direct operations including gold smuggling, narcotics exporting and violent crimes, the DOJ alleged.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is treating the group as a major national security concern as it works with partners across the country.

"The FBI is committed to investigating members of violent transnational gangs whose actions violate our laws and put American lives at risk," he said. "The existence of TdA is a direct threat to our national security, and we will not allow such a dangerous criminal organization to take root in our communities. Together with our law enforcement partners at every level, we are working to bring these ruthless criminals to justice."

China denounced the United States for approving a massive $11.1 billion weapons package for Taiwan, warning that the deal risks turning the island into a "powder keg" and driving the region toward "military confrontation and war."

The unprecedented sale includes 82 HIMARS launchers paired with 420 ATACMS long-range missiles — a combination that would give Taiwan new deep-strike capability across the Taiwan Strait — along with 60 self-propelled howitzers, advanced UAV systems, military software packages, and anti-armor weapons.

Beijing accused Taiwan’s leadership of "seeking independence through force" and claimed Washington is using the island to "contain China," rhetoric that signals heightened tensions even as the U.S. frames the package as essential to bolstering Taiwan’s self-defense.

"The ‘Taiwan independence’ forces on the island seek independence through force and resist reunification through force, squandering the hard-earned money of the people to purchase weapons at the cost of turning Taiwan into a powder keg," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. 

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"This cannot save the doomed fate of ‘Taiwan independence’ but will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward a dangerous situation of military confrontation and war. The U.S. support for ‘Taiwan Independence’ through arms will only end up backfiring. Using Taiwan to contain China will not succeed," he added.

U.S. officials have not yet detailed delivery timelines, but the sale reflects Washington’s push to accelerate Taiwan’s defenses amid growing concern over China’s military pressure campaign. The HIMARS–ATACMS combination is expected to draw particular attention from Beijing because it would allow Taiwan to target PLA staging areas, ships, and infrastructure from mobile launchers — a capability China has repeatedly warned against.

In its notification to Congress, the State Department said the proposed sales would advance "U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability." The department added that the weapons would "help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region."

Under longstanding U.S. policy, Washington provides Taiwan with arms it deems necessary for the island’s self-defense while maintaining a "One China" policy and not supporting a declaration of formal independence. China argues that any enhancement of Taiwan’s defenses encourages separatism, while U.S. officials say the purpose of such sales is to preserve stability and deter conflict.

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The package now enters a 30-day congressional review period, during which lawmakers could file a resolution attempting to block it — a step Congress has never taken for a Taiwan arms sale. Once the review period ends, contracting and production begin, a process that typically stretches over several years and contributes to a backlog that once reached $20 billion in undelivered U.S. weapons Taiwan has already purchased.

China has a track record of responding to major Taiwan arms sales with military demonstrations, including large-scale PLA drills, increased air and naval activity near the island and sanctions on U.S. defense firms. Analysts say Beijing’s sharp rhetoric suggests additional military signaling is likely, though China did not immediately announce specific countermeasures.

The latest sale marks a significant boost to Taiwan’s conventional firepower. In recent months, Beijing has stepped up pressure across the strait with near-daily PLA air and naval patrols, record incursions around the island, and high-profile exercises meant to signal its ability to encircle Taiwan.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung thanked the U.S. on Wednesday for its "long-term support for regional security and Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities," which he said are key to deterring a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.