Federal task forces have arrested 1,296 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua since January 2025, according to new government data.
The Homeland Security Task Force figures, first released to the Washington Examiner, cover Jan. 20, 2025, through Oct. 8, 2026. Over the same stretch, the Justice Department has charged nearly 350 of the gang’s members and associates with federal crimes, a number Attorney General Todd Blanche also gave in an Oct. 2 department release.
What officials said
- White House: Spokeswoman Lauren Bis called the effort the largest campaign against transnational crime the government has run. “Our message to Tren de Aragua and all the transnational criminal organizations is simple: we will dismantle your networks, seize your profits, and put the safety of the American people first,” she said.
- ICE: An agency spokesperson said the task forces “have encountered TdA gang members almost every state.”
- Justice Department: Members have been charged with murder, sex trafficking, kidnapping, weapons and drug trafficking, robbery and financial crimes, a DOJ spokeswoman told the Examiner.
ATM thefts in 47 states
One of the biggest cases runs through Nebraska. Federal prosecutors there have charged 120 people in an ATM “jackpotting” scheme tied to the gang, which used malware to force machines to spit out cash. The Justice Department says the scheme hit or targeted ATMs in 47 states and the District of Columbia.
Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre, the alleged developer of the malware and an FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive, appeared in federal court in Nebraska on Oct. 2 and pleaded not guilty. An indictment is only an allegation.
About the task force
President Donald Trump created the Homeland Security Task Forces by executive order in January 2025 to go after cartels, foreign gangs and smuggling rings. The State Department designated Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025. The task forces bring together HSI, the FBI, DEA, ATF, the U.S. Marshals and other agencies.
The figures released to the Examiner do not break down arrests by state.
Sources
- Washington Examiner: Largest-ever federal anti-transnational crime operation nets 1,296 Tren de Aragua arrests nationwide, Oct. 15, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Justice: Apprehended Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Leader on FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List Appears in Nebraska Court, Oct. 2, 2026.
File photo: Official White House Photo by Molly Riley, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.
