Five men suspected to be members of the Tren de Aragua street gang from Venezuela are facing federal charges for allegedly trafficking firearms and drugs into the Chicago area. This is part of a larger investigation targeting the transnational organization.
The indictments were announced by federal authorities, stating that grand juries in Chicago have returned charges against the five men for unlawfully dealing firearms, with some also accused of distributing controlled substances. All five defendants are of Venezuelan origin and have ties to Tren de Aragua, which was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States earlier this year.
These Chicago cases are part of a broader, multi-district probe that has already led to charges against 30 alleged Tren de Aragua leaders and members in Colorado. The allegations in these cases range from gun and drug trafficking to kidnapping, carjacking, and murder-for-hire.
Among the defendants, Luis Salas-Ferrer and Jose Vargas-Ron, both from Chicago, are accused of selling handguns in the city. Salas-Ferrer allegedly sold three handguns in May and June 2025, while Vargas-Ron sold a handgun in May. Both have pleaded not guilty and are in federal custody awaiting trial.
Another case involves Adrian Andres Romero-Sanchez, Miguel Alejandro Castillo-Ceballos, and David Andres Hermoso-Mayor, all living in Chicago, who are charged with trafficking firearms. The trio allegedly sold semiautomatic rifles, a shotgun, and a handgun in May and June, with additional charges of distributing ketamine and MDMA against Romero-Sanchez and Hermoso-Mayor.
The indictments were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, along with officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Border Patrol. Boutros emphasized that federal gun laws apply to everyone, including foreign nationals, and that accountability will be enforced.
These Chicago cases are part of a larger crackdown on Tren de Aragua nationally and internationally. In Colorado, 30 individuals, including alleged gang leaders, were charged with drug trafficking, firearms violations, and murder-for-hire. A nine-month investigation led to the recovery of 69 firearms, including automatic machine guns, linked to violent crimes in the Denver metropolitan area.
The crackdown on Tren de Aragua highlights the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat transnational criminal organizations. The indictments serve as a warning that illegal activities involving firearms and drugs will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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