The U.S. Department of Justice has filed federal charges against 8 Venezuelan nationals alleged to be members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization, in connection with violent crimes committed in Texas and Illinois.
All 8 defendants entered the United States illegally, the Justice Department said. The charges include kidnappings that resulted in deaths, racketeering tied to murder, and additional violent offenses.
Texas and Illinois were both sites of the alleged criminal activity, according to the Justice Department. Homeland Security task forces carried out the investigations that led to the charges.
The Justice Department said all 8 individuals are alleged Tren de Aragua members. The gang is a Venezuelan criminal organization. The charges span kidnapping-related deaths, murder-connected racketeering, and other violent crimes brought by federal prosecutors.