Tren de Aragua Hit: 30 Charged in Denver Drug & Murder Plot

DENVER, CO – Thirty individuals are facing federal charges in a massive takedown targeting the notorious Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, a designated foreign terrorist organization now deeply entrenched in American crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced two indictments today, alleging a web of drug trafficking, brutal murder-for-hire plots, and illegal firearms activity directly linked to TdA members and associates.

The investigation, a nine-month grind initiated after a surge in violent crime and drug activity at a Denver metro area apartment complex, has yielded a 39-count indictment against 28 defendants. Charges include firearms trafficking, using firearms in drug crimes, possession of firearms by illegal aliens, and trafficking in methamphetamine, cocaine, and “Tusi”—a particularly dangerous narcotic originating in Venezuela. Tusi, a pink-colored cocktail of ketamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (Ecstasy), is a signature drug of the gang. Disturbingly, five of the defendants are accused of conspiring to commit murder-for-hire, a chilling indication of the gang’s willingness to use extreme violence.

ATF officers have recovered a staggering 69 firearms through this operation, many of which have been traced back to shootings across Denver and Aurora. These aren’t just street-level guns; the haul includes automatic machineguns, directly linked to carjackings, robberies, and drive-by shootings. The evidence paints a clear picture: TdA isn’t just dealing drugs, they are actively arming themselves and escalating violence in our communities. Of the 28 defendants currently in the United States, 24 are already in federal custody.

The net is widening beyond Colorado’s borders. Luis Fernando Uribe-Torrealba, 29, and Luis Henriquez-Charaima, 29, are charged with six counts including conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to traffic controlled substances, carjacking, and conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Colombian authorities arrested both men on July 30, 2025, based on a U.S. provisional arrest warrant, and they remain in custody in Colombia awaiting extradition.

This operation is spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with crucial support from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. Local law enforcement, including the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, the Aurora Police Department, and the Denver Police Department, also played significant roles. International cooperation has been key, with the Colombian National Police and its GAULA Elite anti-extortion unit providing vital investigative assistance. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia also provided support.

The prosecution is being handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, working in conjunction with Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV, initially created to dismantle MS-13, has expanded its focus to include Tren de Aragua. The task force comprises U.S. Attorney’s Offices from multiple districts nationwide, along with the Department of Justice’s National Security and Criminal Divisions, and federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a clear signal that federal authorities are taking a hard line against this dangerous criminal organization.