BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The Tren de Aragua (TdA) has been officially classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, boasting a membership that has unlawfully penetrated the United States. These individuals are not just casual visitors; they are engaged in irregular warfare and hostile operations against the nation. The TdA collaborates closely with the Cártel de los Soles, an enterprise flourishing under the auspices of the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela. Their activities range from heinous crimes—such as murders, kidnappings, extortions—to human, drug, and weapons trafficking. Their mass illegal migration into the United States is a calculated strategy to jeopardize public safety and bolster Maduro’s aim to destabilize democratic countries, including the U.S.
TdA’s ties with the Maduro regime are deep-rooted, infiltrating various levels of military and law enforcement. The organization gained momentum during Tareck El Aissami’s tenure as governor of Aragua from 2012 to 2017, later ascending to the role of Vice President of Venezuela. It wasn’t long before El Aissami earned a dubious distinction as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker, a label imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This designation has rendered him a fugitive, facing charges linked to his transgressions against U.S. sanctions.
Similarly, Nicolas Maduro himself, who claims to be the legitimate President of Venezuela, is deeply intertwined with narco-terrorist operations. Leading the Cártel de los Soles, Maduro orchestrates a scheme to inundate the United States with illegal narcotics. In 2020, he and others from his regime were charged with narcoterrorism, among other serious offenses, highlighting the gravity of their plotted assault on American society.
Over time, Venezuelan officials have increasingly relinquished control of their territories to transnational criminal organizations, including TdA. This has birthed a hybrid criminal state that threatens to invade and exploit the United States, creating a significant risk to national security. INTERPOL Washington echoed this concern in December 2024, stating that “Tren de Aragua has emerged as a significant threat to the United States as it infiltrates migration flows from Venezuela.” Evidence suggests that TdA not only has invaded the U.S. but continues to do so, engaging in irregular warfare and deploying drug trafficking as a weapon against American citizens.
In light of a thorough review of TdA’s actions, and following consultations with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, I, acting under the authority granted by 8 U.S.C. 1189, issued a designation of TdA as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on February 20, 2025.
As the President and Commander in Chief, it is my solemn duty to shield the American populace from the severe repercussions of this invasion. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me through the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., do hereby proclaim the following:
Section 1. I hereby confirm that TdA is executing, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against U.S. territory. This organization is conducting hostile actions and irregular warfare against the United States, both directly and via the directives of the Maduro regime in Venezuela. My findings are based on the full extent of my constitutional authority to manage the nation’s foreign affairs. Consequently, I proclaim that all Venezuelan citizens aged 14 or older who are members of TdA, currently within the United States and lacking naturalization or lawful permanent resident status, are subject to apprehension, restraint, and removal as Alien Enemies. I further assert that such members, by virtue of their affiliation with TdA, are in a state of actual hostility against the United States and thus disqualified from the benefits outlined in 50 U.S.C. 22. Additionally, I declare that these individuals pose a danger to public peace and safety.
Sec. 2. I direct the Attorney General to formulate a letter within 60 days of this proclamation, officially declaring the policy described in Section 1 as the national policy, and to attach this proclamation. This letter shall be sent to the Chief Justice of the United States, the chief judges of all circuit courts of appeals, district courts, governors of states and territories, and the highest-ranking judicial officers of each state and territory.
Sec. 3. I mandate that all Alien Enemies mentioned in Section 1 be subject to immediate apprehension, detention, and removal, and that they be barred from residing within the United States.
Sec. 4. Under the Alien Enemies Act, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, consistent with applicable law, apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove all Alien Enemies described in Section 1. The Secretary of Homeland Security retains the discretion to apprehend and remove any Alien Enemy under any separate authority.
Sec. 5. All executive departments and agencies shall work in concert with U.S. law enforcement and relevant state, local, and tribal officials, employing all lawful methods to apprehend, restrain, secure, and remove the Alien Enemies outlined in Section 1.
Sec. 6. In accordance with my authority under 50 U.S.C. 21 to direct the course of action regarding Alien Enemies, I direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement the regulations specified in this proclamation concerning the Alien Enemies defined in Section 1. They are further authorized to effectuate the apprehension, detention, and removal of all TdA members qualifying as Alien Enemies. The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security may utilize agents, agencies, and officers from the federal government and state and local jurisdictions to carry out these actions, with full authority granted for actions taken in line with this proclamation.
In accordance with the authority bestowed upon me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including the Alien Enemies Act, 50 U.S.C. 21 et seq., I hereby establish the following regulations deemed necessary for public safety:
(a) No Alien Enemy identified in Section 1 shall enter, attempt to enter, or be present within any U.S. jurisdiction. Any such individual found within U.S. territory shall be immediately apprehended and detained until removal from the country. All Alien Enemies are subject to immediate apprehension.
(b) Alien Enemies apprehended under this proclamation will be detained until their removal from the United States, in locations determined by the responsible enforcement officers.
(c) Alien Enemies will be removed to designated locations as specified by enforcement officials, in compliance with applicable law.
(d) All property belonging to, or traceable to, an Alien Enemy—particularly that which facilitates TdA’s hostile activities—will be seized and forfeited.
The Attorney General is granted additional authority under the Alien Enemies Act and 3 U.S.C. 301, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to issue guidance necessary for the swift apprehension, detention, and removal of all Alien Enemies mentioned in Section 1. This guidance shall take effect immediately upon issuance.
This proclamation and its directives will apply across all land and waters governed by U.S. jurisdiction.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
