Pam Bondi Charges Tren de Aragua Leader with Terrorism in Landmark Case

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged a high-ranking alleged member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) with terrorism-related offenses, marking the first time the criminal statute has been applied to a member of the organization, officials announced Wednesday.

Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, 24, was indicted in federal court in Texas for drug trafficking and for conspiring to provide and actually providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. U.S. prosecutors described Martinez Flores as a member of TdA’s “inner circle,” accusing him of helping to oversee the gang’s international cocaine distribution network. He is currently detained in Colombia, awaiting extradition. If convicted, he could face a life sentence.

The case is a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s aggressive new strategy to confront the gang, which President Trump has labeled an “invading force.” The administration designated TdA a foreign terrorist organization under a rarely used 18th-century wartime statute, enabling deportations of Venezuelan migrants linked to the group to a notorious prison in El Salvador. This move forms part of Trump’s broader crackdown on illegal immigration and organized crime.

“This is not just a street gang – TdA is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.”

The Justice Department’s use of terrorism statutes—typically reserved for groups like al-Qaida and ISIS—highlights the administration’s expansive interpretation of national security laws, applying them to combat drug smuggling and cross-border gang violence. The designation allows prosecutors to wield powerful legal tools against anyone offering support to TdA.

This announcement follows another landmark move just days earlier, when prosecutors unveiled the first federal racketeering case against Tren de Aragua—charges that were once instrumental in dismantling organized crime syndicates like the Mafia.

Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.