Thirty individuals, believed to be members and leaders of Tren de Aragua (TdA)—a gang from Venezuela labeled as a foreign terrorist organization—have been indicted in Colorado. They face charges such as murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, and firearms violations.
The gang has been tied to murder, extortion, kidnapping, and drug and human trafficking.
Authorities claim several TdA members unlawfully entered the United States, spreading their gang violence across various American communities, including those in Colorado.
“These individuals comprise Tren de Aragua’s leaders, members, and affiliates,” stated U.S. Attorney for Colorado, Peter McNeilly, at a press conference on Monday. “The indictment covers charges like firearms trafficking, drug dealing, and an incredibly brutal murder-for-hire scheme where some defendants agreed to kill two people for $15,000, offering to return their decapitated heads for an extra $5,000 as evidence of the murders.”
The two men involved were captured by authorities in Colombia on July 30, following a provisional arrest warrant from the U.S. based on these allegations.
Uribe-Torrealba and Henriquez-Charaima remain in custody in Colombia pending extradition proceedings.
Of the 28 others indicted, 24 are in federal custody.
“Seizing each of those 69 guns equates to saving a life. Every ounce of drugs removed from circulation represents another life saved,” commented Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown. “Our community has witnessed a 75% drop in service calls… significantly impacting residents’ quality of life here.”
A 2023 surveillance video gained widespread attention showing armed individuals forcefully entering an apartment in Aurora, Colorado. It allegedly depicted members of Tren de Aragua, who reportedly took over apartment buildings in the area and demanded protection money from tenants.
The video catapulted TdA into the spotlight of the 2024 presidential campaign, with Republican nominee former President Trump vowing to “liberate Aurora” from illegal alien criminals he claimed were “taking over the whole town.”
Aurora police have called allegations that gangs had “taken over” buildings in the city an exaggeration, although they have acknowledged the presence of TdA in the community.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, previously dismissed outrage over a video that appeared to show armed Venezuelan gang members taking over an apartment building.
In a statement shared with the New York Post in August 2024, Polis’ spokeswoman Shelby Wieman claimed, “The Governor has already let the Mayor know that the State is ready to support the local police department with assistance from state troopers and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation if needed.”
“But, according to police intelligence, this purported invasion is largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination,” added Wieman, referring to an Aurora City Council member who had spoken out about the TdA issue.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Polis for comment on the indictment.
