Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on U.S. Actions Against Transnational Criminal Organization Tren de Aragua

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration took new actions to halt the spread of Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization from Venezuela that is involved in violent criminal acts, and hold their members and associates to account. First, the Department of the Treasury designated Tren de Aragua as a significant transnational criminal organization. As a result, all property and interests in property of Tren de Aragua that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked. In addition, the Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), is offering up to $12 million in financial rewards for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of three leaders of Tren de Aragua.

Departments and agencies across the U.S. government also continue to prioritize actions being taken to identify and disrupt Tren de Aragua and other violent criminal organizations through a combination of investigative, prosecutorial, diplomatic, screening, and vetting tools, in accordance with the Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime. Law enforcement agents are working with local and state partners to investigate and prosecute Tren de Aragua members and affiliates engaged in criminal activities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of State, and DOJ are supporting foreign partners in their efforts to disrupt Tren de Aragua, and DHS has implemented enhanced vetting processes to vet individuals before they arrive at the border as well as enhanced screening measures at the border to identify known or suspected gang members, including members of Tren de Aragua. Those identified as gang members are detained and either referred for criminal prosecution or held pending removal. The Presidential Proclamation and Interim Final Rule issued on June 4, 2024 further strengthen border security in ways that support enforcement against criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua.