Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced federal charges against eight alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua on Wednesday, citing their illegal entry into the United States during the Biden administration.
Blanche made the announcement during a Justice Department press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. attorneys from Texas and Illinois.
The cases involve murder and kidnapping charges linked to incidents in the Northern District of Texas and Northern District of Illinois.
The Charges
Prosecutors unsealed indictments charging four men in connection with the 2024 murder of a father and the kidnapping of his daughter and nephew near Dallas, Texas.
A separate set of charges covers additional TdA members in Illinois. Blanche stated that all eight entered the country illegally between December 2021 and April 2024.
“Every one of them entered under the Biden Administration… None of these men should have been in this country,” he said.
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Three of the defendants in the Texas case are in custody on other charges, while a fourth is being held in Colombia.
Tren de Aragua, designated by the Trump administration as a foreign terrorist organization, has been linked to violent crimes including murder, sex trafficking, extortion, and drug distribution across multiple states.
Federal officials have pursued the group through Joint Task Force Vulcan, resulting in hundreds of prior charges since January 2025.
Border Policy Criticism
Blanche directly tied the cases to immigration enforcement under the previous administration.
He argued that lax border controls allowed TdA members to establish operations inside the United States. The gang originated in Venezuela and expanded into the U.S. through migrant flows in recent years.
FBI Director Kash Patel joined the briefing to outline ongoing investigations. Officials described the operation as part of a broader effort to dismantle TdA networks involved in firearms trafficking, narcotics, and violence against American communities.
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No immediate responses from former Biden administration officials were available at the time of publication.
Broader Crackdown on TdA
The Justice Department has charged more than 260 TdA members and associates since President Trump took office in 2025. Previous actions included racketeering indictments, extraditions of leaders, and guilty pleas in high-profile cases such as a 2024 double murder in the Bronx.
In May 2026, federal authorities announced a nationwide takedown that yielded dozens of arrests and the seizure of firearms and narcotics.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas and U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois participated in the briefing. Both districts have seen documented TdA activity.
Federal prosecutors said the charged individuals face serious penalties if convicted, including lengthy prison terms for murder and kidnapping. Authorities continue to seek additional suspects and urge the public to provide tips on TdA operations.
