Trump administration arrests 1,296 Tren de Aragua gang members in nationwide crackdown

The Trump administration disclosed Thursday that federal law‑enforcement agencies have arrested 1,296 members and associates of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang across the United States.

The arrests, spanning from Jan. 20, 2025 to Oct. 8, 2026, resulted in federal charges against almost 350 individuals for offenses that include murder, sex trafficking, kidnapping, weapons and drug trafficking, robbery and extensive financial crimes.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said the crackdown demonstrates the administration’s “commitment to dismantle your networks, seize your profits, and put the safety of the American people first,” adding that the days of “vicious gangs… profiting off the death of American citizens is over.”

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson described Tren de Aragua as “one of the most vicious gangs on planet earth. They rape, maim, and murder for sport.” The spokesperson noted that task‑force operatives have encountered gang members in almost every state.

The operation was enabled by the Homeland Security Task Forces, created by an executive order signed by President Trump on his first day in office. The order directed the task forces to eradicate foreign gangs, dismantle human‑smuggling networks and enforce immigration laws nationwide.

Tren de Aragua, formed in 2014, grew into a transnational organized‑crime syndicate after exploiting the surge of Venezuelan migrants entering the United States during the Biden administration’s open‑border policies. Between 2021 and September 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 700,000‑plus Venezuelan migrants, providing cover for gang members.

In February 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated the gang as a foreign terrorist organization, and the State Department followed with an FTO designation on Feb. 20, 2026. The U.S. also sanctioned the group through the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Recent high‑profile actions include the June 2026 U.S.–Venezuelan strike that killed gang leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores and the capture of Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre, a top‑10 FBI wanted fugitive linked to a $40 million ATM fraud scheme.

Federal officials say investigations remain ongoing, with additional arrests expected as the task forces continue to assess the gang’s nationwide footprint and pursue remaining leaders and operatives.