An alleged leader of a violent Venezuelan gang, believed to be heavily involved in drug trafficking and terrorism, has been placed on the FBI’s infamous Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and received sanctions from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano is recognized as a key figure within the ruthless Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, as per FBI Houston’s reports. He has become the first identified member of this transnational gang to appear on the list.
The accusations against Mosquera Serrano include plotting to support a foreign terrorist group and managing the cocaine trafficking operations from Colombia to the United States.
Mosquera Serrano, 37, is the 536th person added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list since it began in 1950. He allegedly continues to lead operations for Tren de Aragua, a gang that federal officials now label a foreign terrorist group.
The FBI said Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano should be considered armed and dangerous. A reward of up to $3 million is being offered for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. (El Salvador Press Presidency Office/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The U.S. Treasury also sanctioned Mosquera Serrano in relation to his alleged TdA activity.
“TdA remains focused on terrorizing our communities and facilitating the flow of illicit narcotics into our country, relying on key leaders like Mosquera Serrano to finance and oversee their violent operations,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Treasury, in close coordination with our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to use all available tools to disrupt the group’s criminal enterprise and Make America Safe Again.”
Mosquera Serrano joins two other fugitives on the FBI’s Top Ten connected to international criminal organizations, Wilver Villegas-Palomino, an alleged member of Colombia’s ELN, and Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias, the alleged MS-13 leader in Honduras.
The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list has proven to be one of the FBI’s most effective tools, with 497 of 536 fugitives being located or captured. More than 160 arrests have been made possible thanks to public tips, according to the bureau.
