Federal authorities in Colorado have charged 30 individuals, including several alleged leaders and members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) organization, with a range of offenses such as drug trafficking, murder-for-hire, and firearms crimes. The indictments are part of an ongoing effort to target criminal activity linked to TdA, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, a federal grand jury returned a 39-count indictment against 28 people following a nine-month investigation that focused on violent crime and drug activities at an apartment complex in the Denver metro area. The defendants face charges related to firearms trafficking; using firearms during drug trafficking crimes; possession of firearms and ammunition by illegal aliens; and trafficking controlled substances like methamphetamine, cocaine, and “Tusi,” a pink narcotic originating from Venezuela containing various drugs including ketamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (Ecstasy). Five defendants are also charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Authorities seized 69 firearms—including automatic machineguns—some of which have been connected to shootings, carjackings, robberies, and drive-by shootings in Denver and Aurora.
In a separate case, Luis Fernando Uribe-Torrealba and Luis Henriquez-Charaima were charged with six counts each including conspiracy to traffic firearms and controlled substances, carjacking, and conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Both men were arrested by Colombian authorities on July 30, 2025. They remain in custody pending extradition proceedings.
Of those indicted within the United States, 24 out of 28 defendants are currently in federal custody.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation with support from agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, local police departments from Arapahoe County as well as Aurora and Denver Police Departments. Colombian National Police units also contributed investigative support alongside several U.S. Department of Justice offices involved in international coordination.
The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is prosecuting the case along with members of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was established in 2019 to combat transnational gangs such as MS-13 and now includes efforts targeting Tren de Aragua across multiple U.S. jurisdictions.
This operation falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative designed to address illegal immigration while dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated law enforcement resources drawn from programs such as OCDETFs (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
In February 2025, Tren de Aragua received its designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
“The charges contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Case Numbers: 25-cr-0063-SKC, 25-cr-233-RMR, and 25-mj-114-KAS.
