Five men believed to be members of the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua street gang are facing federal charges for allegedly trafficking firearms and drugs into the Chicago area as part of a broader, multi-state investigation targeting the transnational organization.
Federal authorities announced that grand juries in Chicago have returned indictments charging the five men with unlawfully dealing firearms, with some defendants also accused of distributing controlled substances. Officials said all five are of Venezuelan origin and have ties to Tren de Aragua, which the United States designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization earlier this year.
Prosecutors said the Chicago cases are connected to a sweeping, multi-district probe that has already resulted in charges against 30 alleged Tren de Aragua leaders and members in Colorado. Those cases involve allegations ranging from gun and drug trafficking to kidnapping, carjacking, and murder-for-hire…