Treasury sanctions fugitive leader of Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday announced sanctions against a fugitive leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano.

The Trump administration has designated the gang as a "foreign terrorist organization," which opens them up for financial sanctions. The international gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) is also a foreign terrorist organization, along with several Mexican drug cartels. 

The Treasury Department accused Mosquera Serrano of being part of the gang's drug trafficking and financial operations. TdA is involved in drug smuggling, human smuggling and trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children and money laundering, among other criminal activities. 

“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,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “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.”

The department's actions were taken in conjunction with the FBI, the Justice Department and the Department of State.

The sanctions mean that all property, and interests in the property of Mosquera Serrano that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and need to be reported to OFAC.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.