Tag: gangs

More Than 40 Mexican Mafia Members And Associates Indicted In California: DOJ

A total of 43 alleged members and associates of the Mexican Mafia prison gang were arrested this week on multiple charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the central district of California said on April 23.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the total includes individuals already in custody, with 25 of them being arrested in Orange County, California, on April 23. They face charges including kidnapping, extortion, fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking, running illegal gambling businesses, and murder.

First assistant U.S. attorney Bill Essayli said the arrests reflected joint efforts between federal and local law enforcement and their commitment to cracking down on violent felons and organized crime.

“Gang members who murder, extort, kidnap, and traffic drugs and firearms are a menace to our communities and our way of life,” Essayli said in a statement.

The investigation also led to the seizure of 4 kilograms (8.8 lbs) of fentanyl, 54.4 kilograms (120 lbs) of methamphetamine, 0.9 kilograms (2 lbs) of heroin, 3 kilograms (6.6 lbs) of cocaine, 25 firearms, and more than $30,000 in cash, according to the office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the gang sold illegal drugs in Orange County and ran illicit gambling businesses within commercial strip malls and private residences. It also collected “extortionate taxes” and used violence to safeguard those gambling businesses, the office added.

One of the defendants, identified as Luis Cardenas, was accused of overseeing the gang’s criminal activities from his prison cell using “an encrypted messaging application on contraband cell phones” between June 2024 and April 2026. Cardenas allegedly instructed gang members to kidnap and assault those “in bad standing” with him.

Two other defendants—Matthew Kundrat and Manuel Ramos—were charged with murder that occurred at the Akua Inn, a gang-run motel in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 3, 2025. Prosecutors said the two allegedly committed the murder to be part of the Mexican Mafia and increase their standing within the gang.

“These defendants allegedly ran a ruthless criminal enterprise that murdered, kidnapped, extorted, and flooded our communities with deadly drugs,” FBI director Kash Patel said in a statement.

“The FBI will never stop working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold these individuals accountable and protect the people of Southern California.”

Some of the defendants made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana and Los Angeles on April 23, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Mexican Mafia, also known as “La Eme,” is a U.S.-based prison gang that started in the 1950s. Federal authorities said the gang exerts “immense control” over Hispanic street gangs in Southern California, directing illegal activities from within prisons and taking a portion of the proceeds from drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and other crimes.

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ICE Arrests MS-13 Gang Member Wanted for Murder — One of the Media’s “Non-Criminal” Illegals

On April 22, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia — a criminal illegal alien wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide and a documented associate of the violent MS-13 gang.

In October 2013, authorities in El Salvador charged Morales-Mejia with aggravated homicide and illicit associations.

On an unknown date, she illegally entered the United States without being inspected, admitted or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.

According to ICE, in February, the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement Task Force in El Salvador provided updated information regarding Morales-Mejia’s possible presence in Northern Virginia.

After receiving the information, Officers with ICE Washington, D.C., worked to locate her and, on March 12, she was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia.

ICE Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Robert Guadian shared, “Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia is not only a known associate of the notorious MS-13 transnational criminal organization, but she apparently attempted to flee justice in her native country by illegally residing in Virginia.“

“The media would consider her to be a ‘non-criminal’ because she has no known criminal history in the United States — despite the fact that she is facing charges for aggravated homicide in El Salvador.”

“ICE Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders from our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities.”

In January, four suspected MS-13 gang members were arrested and are facing murder charges in Maryland after killing a 14-year-old boy from Washington, DC.

The corpse of Jefferson Amaya-Ayala was discovered with multiple injuries in what the medical examiner ruled as a homicide on November 3, 2025, at Indian Creek Stream Valley Park in College Park, Maryland, months after he was last seen in Washington, DC, on August 2, 2025.

In February 2025, the Department of State (DoS) announced the designation of Tren de Aragua (TdA), Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cártel de Sinaloa, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (CDN), La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), Cártel de Golfo (CDG), and Cárteles Unidos (CU) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).

According to DoS, ” MS-13 is a transnational organization that originated in Los Angeles but shifted to Central America as individuals were deported there from the United States. MS-13 actively recruits, organizes, and spreads violence in several countries, primarily in Central America and North America, including El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States.”

“MS-13 has conducted numerous violent attacks, including assassinations and the use of IEDs and drones, against El Salvador government officials and facilities. Additionally, MS-13 uses public displays of violence to intimidate civilian populations to obtain and control territory and manipulate the electoral process in El Salvador.”

“Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals, denying them access to the U.S. financial system and the resources they need to carry out attacks.”

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Feds Indict Six More in Venezuelan Gang’s High-Tech ATM Heist – Total Hits 93

A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an indictment Wednesday charging six individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” 

About 87 others have already been charged, bringing the total to 93 charged defendants. 

Wester Eduardo Dugarte Goicochea, 43; Mauro Angel Briceno Caldera, 37; Henry Rafael Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 37; and Giovanny Miguel Ocanto Yance, 26, Venezuelan nationals residing in the Houston area, were charged. In addition to Jelfenson David Bolivar Diaz, 38, and Arlinzon Jose Reyes Villegas, 21, both Venezuelan nationals, were charged. 

This indictment alleges five counts, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers.

The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on Dec. 9, 2025, that alleged that Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The Dec. 9 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses, with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization.

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The Tren de Aragua Expands Its Criminal Structure in Mexico City Controlling Human Trafficking in the Cuauhtémoc Borough, Forcing Foreign Women to Prostitute Themselves to Settle Their Debts

The lax left-wing policies, driven by governments like that of Morena, have opened the doors to transnational criminal organizations that undermine national security.

The Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang born in prisons under the Chavista regime, has taken advantage of the porosity of Mexico’s borders to infiltrate Mexico City (CDMX), expanding its criminal network in just two years.

This organization, which has become one of the most violent and profitable in the capital, maintains absolute control over human trafficking on streets like Sullivan and Juan Aldama, in the Cuauhtémoc borough, where it forces foreign women to prostitute themselves to pay debts of between 12 and 14 thousand dollars incurred during their migration from the southern border.

The modus operandi of the Tren de Aragua, detailed in a report from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), reveals a hierarchical structure with at least 26 leaders, headed by figures like Nelson Arturo Echezuria Alcántara, alias «Nelson Yamaha», who was detained in October 2025 along with other members for his alleged involvement in femicides and extortions.

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Tren de Aragua Brutally Tortures and Kills Innocent People While Benefiting From Federal Funds

When reports of the brutal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua first appeared, Democrats denied its existence, claiming it was an anti-immigrant myth perpetrated by Republicans. That denial began to unravel after the Aurora, Colorado incident in August and September 2024, when video surfaced showing armed men inside an apartment complex.

Governor Jared Polis’s office initially dismissed claims of an “invasion,” with a spokesperson saying the narrative was a “feature of local officials’ imagination” and suggesting the allegations were being used for political theater.

Several mainstream media echoed that dismissal, describing Tren de Aragua as a new “bogeyman” or even a hallucination. While acknowledging the gang’s existence, they argued that reports of organized violence amounted to a fabricated “invading army” narrative designed to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment and justify mass deportations.

In reality, the gang is very real and has been brutally torturing and killing people while also taking advantage of federal and state benefits programs. ICE has been arresting its members and leaders, but those cases receive little attention from the mainstream media because they do not fit the narrative.

Last January, a 58-year-old woman in Burien, Washington, just south of Seattle, was kidnapped from her apartment complex by two illegal aliens, Alexander Arnaez-Gutierrez and Kevin Sanabria-Ojeda, who have confirmed ties to the Tren de Aragua gang. The attackers tortured the victim by using a power drill on her hand to force her to reveal her ATM PIN and the location of her jewelry. They also beat her and eventually shot her before leaving her for dead. The woman survived by playing dead until help arrived.

On January 8, 2026, ICE arrested an illegal alien, Venezuelan national, and confirmed Tren de Aragua gang member, Yorvis Michel Carrascal Campo, in Colorado Springs on charges including murder, racketeering, and drug trafficking tied to crimes in New Mexico. According to a federal indictment, Carrascal Campo participated in the June 2024 kidnapping and killing of a man and helped conceal evidence of the crime. The victim’s body was later hidden in a remote area of New Mexico.

Under President Trump, federal investigations into Tren de Aragua have focused on how the gang exploits migrant infrastructure by embedding itself within legitimate support systems run by nonprofits and funded by the federal government. While these programs are intended to provide humanitarian aid, investigators say Tren de Aragua has used them as hubs for recruitment, logistics, and criminal activity.

Federal agencies and congressional committees have focused on multiple locations where Tren de Aragua established footholds, most prominently New York City’s Roosevelt Hotel. FEMA and DHS opened investigations into claims that Tren de Aragua–linked groups, including Diablos de la 42, were operating out of city-run shelters.

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“We Discovered Altars”: President of El Salvador Says Violent Gangs Actually Worship Satan

Many, many gang members from central and South America, and other points, have infiltrated the United States, largely under Joe Biden’s open borders policies, over the past few years.

They are known for their extreme violence, crime, aggressive agendas and demands for money.

After all, one gang, Tren de Aragua, actually took over apartment buildings in Colorado, collected the rent from tenants then kept the money instead of giving it to building owners.

The human trafficking, sex assaults and abuse, and financial ripoffs essentially are common knowledge.

But Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, from which some of the gang members come to the United States, said it’s even worse.

In an address at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington Thursday, he confirmed, “Many people don’t know that our enemy was not just the flesh and blood, but spiritual as well. The gangs didn’t just murder, rape, extort. They also worship Satan,” he revealed. “It’s straight up. Literally. When we went to their homes to arrest them, we discovered altars that were used for satanic rituals.”

He explained, “This is well documented. We put up the pictures, the videos right away. But for some reason, the global mainstream media didn’t think it was worth it to cover it. But we know gangs in El Salvador were satanic and they worshiped Satan.”

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Latin Kings Gang Member Arrested For Stealing Rifle From ICE Vehicle in Minneapolis

A Latin Kings gang member on Thursday evening was arrested for stealing a rifle and ammunition from an ICE vehicle in Minneapolis.

The Latin Kings are one of the largest Hispanic street gangs in the world.

Riots erupted Wednesday night into early Thursday morning after an ICE agent shot a shovel-wielding Venezuelan illegal alien in self-defense.

The violence and chaos broke out after Minnesota’s Democrat Governor Tim Walz urged people to stalk, harass, and record ICE agents during a primetime address on Wednesday evening.

Multiple ICE vehicles were destroyed Wednesday night. Far-left rioters stole laptops, sensitive documents, a rifle, and ammunition from the vehicles.

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Far-Left Portland Police Chief CRIES Over Two Tren de Aragua Gang Members Who Were Shot After They Tried to Run Over Border Patrol Agents

Far-left Portland Police Chief Bob Day cried over two Tren de Aragua gang members who were shot after they tried to run over Border Patrol Agents.

Federal agents shot two people in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday afternoon.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the driver and passenger were affiliated with Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

“At 2:19 PST, US Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon. The passenger of the vehicle and target is a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involved in a recent shooting in Portland,” the DHS said.

“The vehicle driver is believed to be a member of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents,” the DHS added.

“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene. This situation is evolving and more information is forthcoming,” the agency said.

The two gang members were wounded and transported to a local hospital.

On Friday, Portland Police Chief Bob Day had to fight back tears as he admitted the DHS was right about the officer-involved shooting.

“They do have some nexus to involvement with TDA. We can confirm that,” Bob Day said as he fought back tears.

Chief Day admitted he didn’t want to disclose there was a gang affiliation with the two shot by Border Patrol.

“I want to speak for just a moment, specifically to my Latino community,” Day said.

“It saddens me that we even have to qualify these remarks because I understand or at least have attempted to understand your voices, your concern, your fear, your anger,” Day said as he wiped away tears.

“This information, in no way, is meant to disparage or to condone or support or agree with any of the actions that occurred yesterday,” Day added.

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Venezuela issues 90-day order to ARREST anyone backing US attack as armed motorcycle gangs hunt down Trump supporters in Caracas

Gangs of armed men on motorcycles are patrolling the streets of Caracas, looking for supporters of Donald Trump and his military operation in Venezuela with the support of at least one key government official. 

The Colectivos are a group of paramilitary militias that still support deposed leader Nicolas Maduro and have been searching vehicles at checkpoints. 

The bikers, many of them masked and armed with Kalashnikovs, have searched phones and cars looking for evidence of people backing Trump’s action in Caracas as an unofficial tool of the state. 

In the wake of Maduro’s arrest, a 90-day state of emergency put in place by the Venezuelan government orders police to ‘immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States.’

They have already arrested 14 journalists, 11 of whom come from out of the country, while others remain missing, The Telegraph reported. 

Many of the members of Colectivos have been seen posing with Maduro’s Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello, who still clings tight to the notion that Maduro is the nation’s lawful president. 

‘Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations,’ Cabello said in a statement through the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

A video of Cabello – who has a bounty of $50million on his head in the US for drug trafficking – with the militia members that has circulated on social media sees them chanting a slogan that translates to: ‘Always loyal, never traitors.’

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Somali Immigrants Linked to Extremism, Gangs, and Criminal Activity

ICE announced that during Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, launched on December 1, 2025, federal agents arrested multiple criminal illegal aliens described by the Department of Homeland Security as “the worst of the worst.”

Those arrested included individuals convicted of child sexual offenses, domestic abuse, gang-related crimes, and other repeat offenses who had been living in the community despite prior criminal records. DHS attributed their continued presence to sanctuary policies and local leadership decisions, stating that ICE intervened to enforce federal law and address public safety concerns.

Several of those arrested were illegal aliens from Somalia. According to the ICE press release, Abdulkadir Sharif Abdi was identified as a former Gangster Disciples member and a current member of the Vice Lord Nation. His convictions include fraud, receiving stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle, vehicle theft, and multiple probation violations.

Sahal Osman Shidane, also from Somalia, was convicted of criminal sexual conduct involving a minor between the ages of 13 and 15. Mukthar Mohamed Ali, another Somali national, was convicted of assault, fraud, robbery, and larceny.

Ahmed Mohamed Said, an illegal alien from Somalia, has multiple convictions, including two domestic violence offenses, three convictions for driving under the influence, assault, property damage, and probation violations. Feisal Mohamed-Omar, also from Somalia, was charged with two counts of domestic violence.

In a separate case, a 19-year-old Minnesota gang member, Ibrahim Ahmed Mohamud, also known as “Ibbs” or “30,” pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a machinegun. Mohamud is a member of the YSL (Young Slime Life) criminal street gang and was implicated in a February 24, 2024 drive-by shooting after mistaking the victim for a member of a rival gang affiliated with the Muddy group and the Somali Outlaws.

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