Judge unseals robbery, kidnapping charges against Tren de Aragua leaders

DENVER (CN) — A federal judge on Thursday unsealed a 10-count indictment against two men charged with ordering Tren de Aragua members to carry out robberies and a kidnapping in Denver, representing the latest cases in the Trump administration’s crackdown on affiliates of the foreign gang.

Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano faces 10 counts in the U.S. District of Colorado alongside Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas. The charges include conspiracy to commit racketeering and Hobbs Act robbery, as well as kidnapping, cyberstalking, firearms offenses and robbery.

The FBI is offering a $5 million reward for any information leading to the arrest of Mosquera Serrano, also known as Jovani San Vicente and El Viejo. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco announced Suarez Villegas’ arrest in Colombia in April.

According to the indictment, filed Nov. 19 under seal, Mosquera Serrano and Suarez Villegas managed Tren de Aragua operations in the U.S., Colombia and the rest of the Americas.

Federal prosecutors say Mosquera Serrano approved a $4 million jewelry heist against two Denver stores in June 2024. Mosquera Serrano called for the killing of a man who was kidnapped and held in an Aurora apartment in October, after the victim’s family refused to pay a $30,000 ransom, according to prosecutors.

Suarez Villegas, also known as Chino San Vicente, played a role in both crimes, prosecutors say, approving of the victim’s kidnapping and torture.

An international gang rooted in South America, Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela nearly 20 years ago, and made U.S. headlines last year as purported members took advantage of aid offered by nonprofits to refugees in the Denver metro area.

Shortly after videos circulated on TikTok in August 2024 depicting men with guns storming an apartment complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora, local law enforcement joined forces with federal agencies to arrest and prosecute the people involved in the crime and more broadly associated with Tren de Aragua.

While running for a second term in office, President Donald Trump amplified the claim that the international gang had taken over Aurora, Colorado, using the city of 400,000 to catalyze a campaign promise to crack down on immigration. To follow through with the pledge, Trump has used both the Department of Justice and executive orders, evoking the gang’s name earlier this year in an attempt to deploy the Alien Enemies Act to fast-track deportations of Venezuelan nationals.

Prosecutors say members of Tren de Aragua traffic drugs like tusi and cocaine, while committing robberies and kidnappings to keep “victims and potential victims in fear.”

In a press release, a Justice Department representative called the case an important “part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”

“Tren de Aragua is a terrorist cartel that exploits our borders to bring murder, drugs and chaos into American communities,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added in a statement. “This department is crushing their leadership, dismantling their networks and cutting off their money across the U.S.”

Since January, federal prosecutors have indicted 260 people believed to be members of Tren de Aragua, according to the Justice Department. Thursday’s announcement in Denver coincided with the unsealing of indictments against 70 individuals in Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and Texas.

Chief U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer, a George W. Bush appointee, unsealed the case in a single-page order. Indictments are typically sealed to protect an ongoing investigation.

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