Federal prosecutors in New Mexico have unsealed a sweeping racketeering indictment against 11 alleged members and leaders of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, accusing the group of murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and firearms crimes carried out across New Mexico and beyond.
According to the indictment, the defendants are accused of operating Tren de Aragua (TdA) as a transnational criminal enterprise that used intimidation, brutality, and organized violence to maintain control, enforce loyalty, and generate profits through narcotics and human exploitation. Federal prosecutors allege the gang’s activities culminated in the kidnapping, interrogation, and execution-style killing of a victim inside an Albuquerque apartment in June 2024, followed by the disposal of the body in a remote desert grave.
Court records describe Tren de Aragua as an organization that “engaged in criminal activities, including murder, drug trafficking, robbery, human smuggling, and sex trafficking,” operating not only in New Mexico but across the Western Hemisphere. The indictment states the enterprise relied on violence to “preserve, promote, and protect the power, territory, and profits of the enterprise through intimidation and violence,” including murder and kidnapping.
Prosecutors allege that Henderson Yofre Mavo Finol, 39, and Adan Jose Ramirez Sanchez, 38—both Venezuelan nationals illegally present in the United States—served as leaders of the TdA enterprise. According to the indictment, the two directed subordinates to kidnap a victim identified as John Doe 1, who was lured to an apartment at the Peaks at Sandia View complex in Albuquerque. Once there, gang members allegedly restrained him, beat him with a firearm, and interrogated him during a conference call involving TdA leaders inside and outside the United States.
The indictment alleges that after questioning the victim about his loyalty and suspected ties to rival gangs, a TdA leader ordered his execution. Several defendants are accused of strangling the victim to death, photographing his body, and sending images to gang leadership to confirm the killing had been carried out as directed. Other defendants allegedly cleaned the crime scene, transported the body in luggage, and buried it in a remote area of New Mexico.
Federal prosecutors further allege the enterprise was deeply involved in drug trafficking, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, MDMA, ketamine, marijuana, and “tusi,” a synthetic drug mixture popular in Venezuela. Search warrants executed in Albuquerque allegedly uncovered firearms, extended magazines, ammunition, drug manufacturing equipment, and fraudulent immigration documents.
The indictment also details a separate armed confrontation in Aurora, Colorado, in August 2024, where rival groups exchanged gunfire, resulting in the death of a second victim.
If convicted, the defendants face penalties of up to life in federal prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison announced the case on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force, which is operating under Executive Order 14159, titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The initiative directs federal agencies to dismantle foreign criminal gangs and remove violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The prosecution aligns with President Donald Trump’s renewed pledge to aggressively target transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua, which federal officials say have exploited weak border enforcement to flood American communities with drugs, weapons, and violence. Trump has repeatedly vowed to use the full power of federal law enforcement to dismantle cartel and gang networks operating on U.S. soil and to prioritize the removal of violent criminal aliens.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan and numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Federal officials emphasized that the indictment is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
so it was the feds who brought charges because our state and local govt refuses to act. sounds about right. the mayoral election is over. its back to the status quo now. the national guard has ended its deployment in ABQ. MLG criticized the effectiveness of their mission. they report to her. maybe she is the problem. crime, drugs, and poverty have job security in Burque. Keller is there with pom poms to cheer them all on. Drove through the “international” district yesterday, aka the The Combat Zone. hard to believe the city permits people to live on the streets like that. then again, its not hard at all to believe. we just voted for 4 more years of it.
You are so right. And if convicted, these POS’s should be executed on the spot.
Keep it classy New Mexico.
And don’t forget Dona Ana Magistrate Judge Jose Luis Cano and wife Nancy Cano. The hosts for Tren de Aragua, their case closed.
Not surprising that New Mexico didn’t take action.. Maybe too many in Government related or could be tied to the wrong doing?? Probably — ..
Let’s hope the Feds kick a$$ and start taking numbers so New Mexico raises above the sludge and corruption!
I didn’t vote for Keller, I begged on this site for voters not to vote for Keller.. no one listened… Keller pulled the political card on White associating White with Trump and the public bought…
Now I have to look at Keller smug face on the news when he’s lying through that smug smile.
I appreciate the feds for stepping up and getting rid of the trash that BidenObama let in. The worst is yet to come.
The judiciary of NM… is complacent. They are almost all [D]… up to the NMSC. What would any intelligent person believe differently is beyond me.