The top-ranking member of the Tren de Aragua gang to face legal proceedings in the United States has been extradited from Colombia. He is set to appear before a federal court in Houston on charges related to terrorism and drug trafficking, as announced by the Department of Justice.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, known by the alias “Chuqui,” is accused of orchestrating various criminal operations in Colombia. These include drug smuggling, extortion, prostitution, and murder. Federal prosecutors have identified him as a senior leader within the Bogota faction of the Tren de Aragua, a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
Martinez Flores was apprehended on March 31 under a U.S. warrant. According to the Justice Department, he has since been transferred to Houston and is scheduled to make a court appearance on May 15.
This development underscores a significant extradition of a high-ranking Tren de Aragua figure, who allegedly managed the gang’s illicit activities in Colombia, as noted by the Justice Department on Thursday.
“Today’s extradition delivers a resolute message: under President Trump’s administration, terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua will be pursued and brought to justice,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel in a statement to Fox News Digital. Patel emphasized the FBI’s commitment to leveraging all available resources to dismantle violent criminal networks, curb drug trafficking, and safeguard American communities.
Martinez Flores faces charges of conspiring to provide material support to Tren de Aragua, including personnel contributions such as himself, and of directly supplying material support to the organization.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the extradition shows Tren de Aragua members will be hunted down and brought to justice as the agency works to dismantle violent criminal networks and stop drugs from reaching U.S. communities. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
A federal indictment also alleges an international drug distribution conspiracy based on Flores’ involvement in the distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the U.S.
The Trump administration’s State Department designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 20.
The indictment against Flores came after the Trump administration filed its first racketeering charges—also known as RICO charges—against TdA members and its associates in April. These charges include conspiring to commit murder, sex trafficking, assault and drug dealing. Flores now faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
In December, a federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment charging three other TdA leaders: Yohan Jose Romero, 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez, 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, 38. They are charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA.
Mosquera Serrano, who is also on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, is named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores.
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