Latest news with #GiovanniVicenteMosqueraSerrano
New York Post
25-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Tren de Aragua gang kingpin makes FBI's Ten Most Wanted list
A Tren de Aragua kingpin landed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list — marking the first time a member of the prison gang has made the bureau's famous rogues' gallery. Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, 37, is wanted for organizing drug trafficking and terrorism operations for the notorious Venezuelan outfit that operates throughout the US and other countries. The FBI highlighted Serrano's addition to the list on Tuesday and announced a $3 million bounty for information leading to the capture of the Venezuelan gangbanger. 'Tren de Aragua is allegedly responsible for sending gang members to the U.S. who engage in drug trafficking, human trafficking, weapons trafficking, and violent crime,' the FBI said in a statement. The gang rose to infamy last year for taking over whole apartment buildings in Colorado, a sanctuary state. 3 Photo of Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, an alleged senior leader of the Tren de Aragua transnational gang. FBI 3 FBI wanted poster for Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, alleged senior leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. FBI President Trump later branded Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization and made it a prime target in his sweeping immigration crackdown. Serrano faces charges of conspiracy to provide and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the US. The Department of the Treasury also sanctioned Serrano on Tuesday, freezing his assets in the US. 3 Photo of Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, alleged senior leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. FBI '[Tren de Aragua] remains focused on terrorizing our communities and facilitating the flow of illicit narcotics into our country, relying on key leaders like Mosquera Serrano to finance and oversee their violent operations,' said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Trump has designated Tren de Aragua as an invading force under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which he has used to deport Venezuelan migrants to a notorious superprison in El Salvador. In April, the Justice Department leveled the first terrorism charge against a Tren de Aragua member, Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, an alleged part of the organization's 'inner circle.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI offers $3 million reward for first alleged Tren de Aragua leader on its most wanted list
Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, an alleged senior leader of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua has been added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Ten Most Wanted list. Known as 'El Viejo,' the old man, Mosquera Serrano is the first member from the gang on the FBI's top fugitives list, according to the agency. The FBI is offering a $3 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano, 37, who faces federal charges that include conspiring to provide and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the US, the agency announced on Tuesday. Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA, allegedly sends gang members to the US to engage in drug, human and weapons trafficking, as well as violent crime, the FBI said. TdA was designated as a foreign terrorist organization after an executive order was signed by President Donald Trump on January 20. The criminal organization originated in a Venezuela prison and has slowly spread both north and south in recent years. It now operates in the United States. Investigators believe Mosquera Serrano may be in Venezuela or Colombia, the agency said. Tren de Aragua has not only terrorized Venezuela for years but also countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Peru, CNN has reported. In Colombia, Tren de Aragua and a guerrilla group known as the National Liberation Army 'operate sex trafficking networks in the border town of Villa del Rosario' and Norte de Santander, according to a US State Department 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report about Colombia. The criminal groups exploit Venezuelan migrants and displaced Colombians in sex trafficking, taking advantage of economic vulnerabilities and subjecting them to 'debt bondage,' the report stated. Police in the region reported the organization has victimized thousands through extortion, drug and human trafficking, kidnapping and murder. Insight Crime, a think tank dedicated to organized crime, said in October that Tren de Aragua's 'reputation appears to have grown more quickly than its actual presence in the United States.' 'Additionally, there is no evidence, thus far, of cells in the United States cooperating with one another or with other criminal groups,' according to Insight Crime. Tren de Aragua adopted its name between 2013 and 2015 but its operations predate that, according to a report by Transparency Venezuela, an anti-corruption nonprofit. 'It has its origin in the unions of workers who worked on the construction of a railway project that would connect the center-west of the country and that was never completed' in both Aragua and Carabobo states, according to the report. The gang's leaders operated out of the notorious Tocorón prison, which they controlled, the report said. Venezuelan authorities say they have dismantled the leadership of Tren de Aragua and freed Tocorón prison, one of the largest in the country, from the control of its members.
UPI
25-06-2025
- UPI
TdA leader hit with sanctions, charges and added to FBI top 10 list
Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, 37, is accused in the United States of being a high-ranking member of the Tren de Aragua gang. Photo courtesy of State Department/ Release June 25 (UPI) -- The United States on Tuesday sanctioned, charged and added to the FBI's most wanted list a Venezuelan fugitive accused of being a leader of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, one of several criminal organizations that the Trump administration has targeted in its crackdown on immigration. The alleged gang leader, 37-year-old Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, is accused of being involved in the TdA's drug trafficking and financial operations. According to a five-count superseding indictment announced Tuesday by the Justice Department, Mosquera Serrano, who also goes by the name "El Viejo," and 24-year-old Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, aka "Chuqui," are charged with conspiring to provide and providing support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as distributing cocaine in Colombia intended for the United States. The indictment calls Mosquera Serrano a senior TdA leader who oversees its criminal operations in Colombia, Central America and the United States, while Martinez Flores is an alleged high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota. The Justice Department accuses the pair of being involved in the delivery of some 5 kilos or more of cocaine for international distribution for the benefit of the TdA. According to the FBI, Mosquera Serrano is the 536th addition to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and the first alleged TdA member to be included. "Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano's leadership fuels an organization that thrives on brutal murders, forced prostitution, kidnappings and the destruction of lives across continents," Douglas Williams, special agent in charge of FBI Houston, said Tuesday in a statement. The FBI has named Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List. Serrano is an alleged senior leader of the Tren de Aragua transnational gang and is wanted for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and international cocaine... FBI (@FBI) June 24, 2025 The State Department has been offering a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction since June 2024. "The United States is committed to keeping the American people safe by using all available means to eliminate TdA's threats of violent crime throughout our hemisphere," the State Department said in a statement. The U.S. government under President Donald Trump has been cracking down on immigration, focusing on alleged bad actors and international criminal organizations. On Feb. 20, Trump designated TdA and seven other criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists, exposing them and their members and proxy entities to punitive measures, including sanctions.
Fox News
24-06-2025
- Fox News
Alleged Tren de Aragua boss added to FBI's most wanted, sanctioned by Treasury: 'No border will shield him'
An alleged violent Venezuelan gang leader who authorities say has deep ties to drug trafficking and terrorism has been added to the FBI's notorious Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Vicente Mosquera Serrano is a senior figure in the brutal Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, according to the FBI Houston. He's the first known member of the transnational gang to make the list. The charges against Mosquera Serrano include conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, along with coordinating the trafficking of cocaine from Colombia into the United States. Mosquera Serrano, 37, is the 536th person added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list since it began in 1950. He allegedly continues to lead operations for Tren de Aragua, a gang that federal officials now label a foreign terrorist VENEZUELAN GANG 'MORE VIOLENT' THAN TREN DE ARAGUA TARGETS RURAL AMERICA, EXPERT WARNS "Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano's leadership fuels an organization that thrives on brutal murders, forced prostitution, kidnappings and the destruction of lives across continents," said Douglas Williams, special agent in charge of FBI Houston. "No border will shield him from justice. With the public's help, we will eradicate TdA and end their transnational campaign of terror and crime." Tren de Aragua began inside Venezuelan prisons and has rapidly grown into one of the most violent and far-reaching gangs in the Americas. Authorities say its members have already infiltrated Latin America and the U.S., committing organized crimes that include drug and weapons trafficking, extortion and human smuggling. The U.S. Treasury also sanctioned Mosquera Serrano in relation to his alleged TdA activity. "TdA remains focused on terrorizing our communities and facilitating the flow of illicit narcotics into our country, relying on key leaders like Mosquera Serrano to finance and oversee their violent operations," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "Treasury, in close coordination with our partners in U.S. law enforcement, will continue to use all available tools to disrupt the group's criminal enterprise and Make America Safe Again." A federal arrest warrant was issued for Mosquera Serrano in the United States District Court Southern District of multinational law enforcement effort involves a wide coalition of agencies. In addition to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office, officials from the DEA, Homeland Security, the ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Houston Police Department and the Colombian National Police are involved in the manhunt. The FBI's legal attaché in Bogotá is also supporting the HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe State Department is offering up to $3 million for information leading to Mosquera Serrano's arrest or conviction. The FBI is urging the public to offer information related to this case. Tips can be submitted at through local FBI offices, U.S. embassies or consulates or anonymously through WhatsApp and Telegram at 281-787-9939. Mosquera Serrano joins two other fugitives on the FBI's Top Ten connected to international criminal organizations, Wilver Villegas-Palomino, an alleged member of Colombia's ELN, and Yulan Adonay Archaga Carias, the alleged MS-13 leader in Honduras. The FBI's Ten Most Wanted list has proven to be one of the FBI's most effective tools, with 497 of 536 fugitives being located or captured. More than 160 arrests have been made possible thanks to public tips, according to the bureau.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
US sanctions an alleged leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua
The US Treasury Department said on Tuesday it has sanctioned Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, an alleged leader of Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, who is already on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most-wanted list. Mosquera has been indicted by the US Department of Justice with drug trafficking and terrorism-related criminal activity, the statement from the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said, while the State Department is offering up to $3 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. US President Donald Trump has claimed Tren de Aragua is coordinating its US activities with the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro, and used the supposed connection to justify deportations of alleged members to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. At least one top US official has acknowledged Maduro's government may not specifically direct the gang.
