Accused Tren de Aragua Leader Extradited from Colombia to Face U.S. Terrorism, Drug Charges
HOUSTON – A 24-year-old Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua has been extradited from Colombia to the United States, marking the first such extradition of a TdA member from that country, federal prosecutors announced.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, also known as “Chuqui,” is scheduled to make his initial appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan in Houston federal court. He faces charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and international drug distribution conspiracy.
Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia on March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant requested by the United States. He has now arrived in Houston for prosecution.
Alleged Role in TdA Leadership
According to a federal indictment, Flores is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of Tren de Aragua in Bogota, Colombia, and part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
“….Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “…..indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”
“…. filed charges against 27 alleged members, former members, and associates of Tren de Aragua, for committing murders and shootings, forcing young women trafficked from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing and extorting small businesses, and selling ‘tusi,’ a pink powdery drug that has become their calling card,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “……Indictments make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.”
“Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City,” said New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “For the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is. This isn’t just street crime—it’s organized racketeering, and this gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns. Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up.”
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 20, 2025.
Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel — including himself — and services, and one count of providing material support to the organization. The indictment also alleges an international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine in Colombia intended for shipment to the United States.
Prosecutors allege the drug proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
As a TdA leader, Flores allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia including drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and murder, according to court documents.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment on Dec. 16, 2025, also charging three other TdA leaders: Yohan Jose Romero, also known as “Johan Petrica,” 48; Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez, also known as “Juancho,” 45; and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, also known as “El Viejo,” 38.
All three remain fugitives. Mosquera Serrano is listed on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List.
Potential Penalties and Rewards
If convicted, Flores faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is offering up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Jose Romero , and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning these individuals is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alleged CJNG Successor Charged in D.C. with Trafficking Cocaine, Heroin, Meth into U.S.
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has returned a superseding indictment against a high-ranking leader of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, charging him with drug trafficking conspiracy, firearm offenses, and money laundering conspiracy, the Justice Department announced.
Audias Flores Silva, 45, of Mexico — also known as “Jardinero” — was captured on April 27 by Mexican authorities. Before his arrest, he was reportedly a potential successor to Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” the former top CJNG leader who died following a military operation to capture him in February 2026.
The State Department designated CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025.
The superseding indictment expands on charges first filed in August 2020, when Flores Silva was accused of trafficking cocaine and heroin into the United States. Prosecutors now allege he also trafficked methamphetamine and conspired to launder drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico.
Flores Silva is charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine for importation into the United States; use of a firearm, including a destructive device, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and money laundering conspiracy.
Potential Penalties & Official Statements
If convicted, Flores Silva faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
“Audias Flores Silva is charged with trafficking massive amounts of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine into our country and funneling the profits back to Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The drugs and violence that cartels inject into communities have no place in the United States. Our mission in the Criminal Division is to dismantle cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at every level, targeting their leadership, financing and operations and ensuring those who have harmed our country face justice.”
“Jardinero believed he would assume control of the violent foreign terrorist organization CJNG following the death of El Mencho. He was wrong,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “Yesterday’s superseding indictment demonstrates the combined strength of DEA and the Homeland Security Task Force in dismantling the command and control structures of the cartels and holding their leaders accountable. I thank the Secretariat of the Navy for taking Jardinero into custody in Mexico.”
Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of Homeland Security Investigations added: “The superseding indictment of Audias Flores Silva underscores how the Homeland Security Task Force and our partners are systematically targeting the command structure of violent cartels that traffic drugs, violence, and fear into our communities.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican Stash House Operator Sentenced to 41 Months for Smuggling Thousands of Migrants into U.S.
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for her role in a vast international alien smuggling organization that illegally brought thousands of migrants from countries including Afghanistan, Yemen, and Pakistan into the United States, federal prosecutors announced.
Monica Hernandez-Palma, 34, operated a stash house in Piedras Negras, Mexico, and coordinated with other members of the smuggling organization to transport aliens to the stash house and then illegally into the United States, according to court documents.
Massive Smuggling Operation
From on or about Nov. 13, 2020, through March 7, 2023, Hernandez-Palma and others were part of an international alien smuggling organization that illegally brought thousands of aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador into the United States from Mexico.
The organization operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Hernandez-Palma worked with others to house aliens, after which the migrants would meet foot guides who led them across the U.S.-Mexico border by crossing the Rio Grande River, prosecutors said.
Co-Conspirator’s Admission
Hernandez-Palma worked with co-conspirator Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, a San Antonio, Texas-based smuggler who facilitated the travel of aliens from South America to the United States. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations and paid armed “coyotes,” load drivers, and stash house operators.
Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga was sentenced to ten years in prison on July 9, 2025.
According to court documents, Mejia-Zuniga admitted that the smuggling organization brought between 2,500 and 3,000 aliens into the United States in just two years. He stated that the organization charged between $6,500and $12,000 per alien, totaling approximately $16 million to 30 million in financial gain for the organization.
Mejia-Zuniga was sentenced to 10 years in prison on July 9, 2025.
Guilty Plea and Sentence
Hernandez-Palma pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain. She was sentenced Monday to 41 months in prison.
“We take seriously organized human smugglers who seek to undermine the integrity and security of our borders and our immigration laws for their ill-gotten gains,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Even criminal smugglers who live outside of our nation’s borders will face the justice of our courts when they violate our laws designed to keep our borders safe and secure.”
“Alien Smuggling Organizations do not care about your hopes and dreams; they care only about your money,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This sentencing represents a major blow to a complex criminal organization that has been successfully dismantled thanks to the work of our AUSAs and law enforcement partners.”
About the Author
