8 Tren de Aragua Members Charged in Texas and Illinois
A father was murdered in front of his teenage daughter near Dallas. In Chicago, a man was kidnapped, bound, and shot multiple times in an abandoned building. Federal prosecutors say both crimes were carried out by members of Tren de Aragua — a Venezuelan gang now designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
What happened: charges in two states
On June 29 and 30, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced federal charges against eight alleged members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a violent gang that started as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s and has since spread across the Western Hemisphere. All eight defendants are believed to be Venezuelan nationals who entered the United States illegally between December 2021 and April 2024.
In the Northern District of Illinois, three men — Josue Pacheco Torres, 26; Julian Pachano, 19; and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, 20 — were charged with kidnapping conspiracy and committing a kidnapping that resulted in death. According to court documents, on May 18, the three men and others forced a victim into a car near Meyering Park on Chicago's South Side. The victim was later found dead in an abandoned building, shot multiple times and with his wrists bound behind his back. At the time of the murder, Pacheco Torres was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet from a separate pending criminal case in Cook County.
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In the Northern District of Texas, a grand jury indicted five men — Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, 36; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, 39 — on racketeering charges. Three of them are also charged with murder in connection with a kidnapping that took place on or about August 24, 2024. Zambrano Bolivar faces an additional charge of using a firearm that caused death. One defendant is currently in custody in Colombia on unrelated charges.
The bigger picture: TdA crackdown in 2026
TdA was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Since January 20, 2025, the DOJ says it has federally charged over 300 TdA members and associates across 28 federal districts. FBI Director Kash Patel said TdA arrests have increased 500% since 2024. These eight cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), created under Executive Order 14159, which focuses on dismantling criminal cartels and transnational gangs operating in the United States. The cases were investigated by FBI Chicago, FBI Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Chicago Police Department, ATF, and the Farmers Branch, Texas Police Department.
If convicted, all eight defendants face up to life in prison. Five of them — Torres, Monasterio Briceno, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano — also face the possibility of the death penalty.
What to do
- If you or someone you know has information about TdA activity, you can report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or call your local FBI field office.
- If you are an immigrant and you are approached, threatened, or recruited by a gang, lawyers recommend contacting an immigration attorney right away — gang involvement, even under pressure, can affect your immigration case, including any asylum application or green card application you may have pending.
- If you are in removal proceedings (the legal process where the government tries to deport you) and you have been a victim of a crime, ask an immigration lawyer about a U visa — a special visa for crime victims who help law enforcement.
- Do not ignore any notice from immigration court. Missing a hearing can result in an automatic removal order against you.
What to do, step by step — see our guide “Appealing to the BIA”.
Fishkin Law Firm, New York
Immigrants who are victims of TdA or similar gang violence may qualify for a U visa (for crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement) or asylum if they can show they were persecuted by the gang in their home country — but these cases are fact-specific and the bar is high. If you are currently in removal proceedings and have been a victim of a crime in the U.S., tell your attorney immediately, because that changes your legal options significantly. Do not try to navigate these overlapping criminal and immigration issues without consulting a qualified immigration attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can being a victim of a gang crime help my immigration case?
Possibly. If you were a victim of a crime in the U.S. and you helped — or are willing to help — law enforcement, you may qualify for a U visa. This is a special visa for crime victims. An immigration lawyer can tell you if you qualify.
If I report a crime to police, will ICE find out I am undocumented?
Many cities have policies that limit how much local police share with ICE. However, federal law enforcement is different. Lawyers recommend speaking with an immigration attorney before reporting a crime if you are undocumented, so you understand your risks and protections.
Can gang membership affect my asylum application?
Yes. If you are found to have been a member of a gang — even a gang like TdA — it can be used to deny your asylum application or bar you from getting a green card. Being a victim of a gang is different from being a member, and that distinction matters in court.
What is Tren de Aragua and why does its designation as a terrorist organization matter?
Tren de Aragua is a Venezuelan criminal gang designated by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). This designation gives federal law enforcement broader tools to investigate and prosecute its members. It also means that knowingly helping or supporting TdA — even in small ways — can lead to serious federal criminal charges.