The FBI, under Kash Patel’s leadership, arrested over a dozen members of the “Anti-Tren” gang, a splinter faction of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, on charges of drug and weapons trafficking.
The Anti-Tren gang members were in the country illegally when they were picked up by FBI Houston, according to a June 30 press release from the Department of Justice.
‘Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety.’
“Two criminal complaints charge 14 Anti-Tren members and associates with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine,” the DOJ stated. “According to the allegations, two groups of individuals agreed to transport kilogram quantities of cocaine in exchange for $15,000 for each load with each group accepting half as payment in advance.”
The 14 suspects are facing up to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine.
Five individuals could face an additional 15 years in prison for alleged possession and sale of firearms.
According to the criminal complaint, Jose Miguel Briceno, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, was previously involved in a mass shooting at a Houston bar that resulted in injuries to six people. Briceno is facing separate charges for alleged unlawful possession of ammunition by an alien, which could result in up to 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Houston Police Department, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office assisted the FBI with its investigation.
The agency’s arrests were part of a nationwide initiative, dubbed Operation Take Back America, 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.”
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei stated, “The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both.”
“Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety,” Ganjei continued. “SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.”
Douglas Williams, the special agent in charge of the FBI Houston Field Office, referred to the arrests as “the largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI.”
“These individuals are accused of engaging in a turf war with TDA members and carrying out numerous violent crimes throughout our city, including a mass shooting at a local sports bar that left six people wounded. Fortunately, for the good and safety of our community, these individuals are now in federal custody facing U.S. justice,” Williams said.
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