Additional Coverage:
- Migrant TDA gang member breaks officer’s arm as 10 indicted in massive guns, drug running operation: police (foxnews.com)
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced indictments against ten alleged members and associates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). The charges involve a large-scale arms and drug trafficking operation spanning at least six states. The gang allegedly planned to expand their operation internationally into Colombia.
During one arrest in New York City, a suspect allegedly broke an NYPD officer’s arm. The officer requires surgery and further charges are pending.
Authorities seized 34 illegal guns connected to the suspects, including AR-15s and a modified Glock 9mm automatic. The gang also allegedly trafficked drugs, including “pink cocaine,” a mixture of ketamine, MDMA, and ecstasy.
All ten suspects are Venezuelan migrants who allegedly entered the country illegally through the southern border. Two of the suspects are women.
The operation, led by 24-year-old Enyerbert Blanco, allegedly began two years ago after Blanco and another Venezuelan national arrived in New York City. Blanco is currently in custody in Florida on human trafficking charges involving a minor.
The investigation, known as Operation Train Derail, is a joint effort between the Queens DA’s office and the NYPD. It began over a year ago.
Five suspects face up to 25 years in prison on firearm sale charges. The others face various firearm possession and other charges, with maximum sentences of 15 years. All ten are charged with conspiracy.
Four suspects are in custody in New York City, and four others are in custody outside the state. Two remain at large. The operation reportedly spanned Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas, and Florida.
District Attorney Katz emphasized the brazen nature of the group’s activities, citing an instance where an AR-15 was transported in a garbage bag for a sale in the Bronx. Multiple other sales allegedly took place in a Queens parking lot. Assault weapons sold for $2,500 to $2,800, while handguns went for $1,200 to $1,800.
The gang reportedly obtained firearms through burglaries and car break-ins in other states, using rental vehicles to transport them.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted the dangers of TdA, calling it a “transnational gang that has specialized in murder, trafficking, and mayhem.” She reaffirmed the NYPD’s commitment to working with local and federal partners to combat such organizations.
Several other individuals involved in the operation were named, including Wrallan Meza, Leoner Aguilera, Brayant Aguilar, Rosemary Sanchez, Enyerling Zambrano, Alejandro Rondon, and Oscar Sosa.
This bust followed an immigration raid in the Bronx where Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco was apprehended. Zambrano-Pacheco is wanted in Colorado for burglary and menacing with a firearm, and faces additional charges including kidnapping and extortion.