Undercover operation leads to arrest of 28 suspected members ‘Tren de Aragua’ gang in Colorado

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- More than two dozen suspected members of the Venezuelan street gang 'Tren de Aragua' (TdA) are in U.S. federal custody following a massive undercover operation in Colorado.    

The investigation was a nearly year-long investigation into a gang that unfolded in Aurora. 

That investigation, now leading to 30 indictments, includes drug trafficking, murder-for-hire, and firearms offenses. 

U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Colorado (USACO) says that many members of the gang entered the U.S. illegally, bringing the gang’s violence to American communities, including in Colorado.

According to USACO, detectives began the investigation by targeting criminal activity at an apartment complex in the Denver metro area that had experienced an increase in violent crime and drug activity. 

USACO says the gang was trafficking controlled substances, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and “Tusi", a narcotic drug originating in Venezuela, which contains a variety of controlled substances, including ketamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (Ecstasy)

Officers also recovered 69 firearms through this operation, including automatic machine guns, which were linked to shootings in Denver and Aurora, including carjackings, robberies, and drive-by shootings, says USACO. 

Of the 28 defendants charged in the United States, 24 are in federal custody, and two individuals have been arrested in Colombia based on this case, says USACO. 

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