Two Venezuelan men who were arrested in El Paso, Texas on January 28 have been identified as members of the "Tren de Aragua" gang, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Jhonatan Johan Romero-Pineda, 34, and Uzcategui-Uzcategui, 27, are alleged associates of the transnational criminal organization that was recently designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Trump administration. Javier Irazabal-Rodriguez, a third man also caught in the arrest, had previously been and convicted of sexual assault of a child in May 2024, receiving a 10-year probation sentence.
Irazabal-Rodriguez was released under an order of supervision, while Romero-Pineda and Uzcategui-Uzcategui remain in custody pending removal, according to Border Report. A day after their arrest ICE also detained Jorge Ivan Romero, a 43-year-old Mexican national with multiple prior convictions, including aggravated robbery and re-entry after deportation.
The arrests come amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to dismantle the Tren de Aragua's presence in the United States. On January 26 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested dozens of suspected gang members following a raid on a makeshift nightclub in Adams County, Colorado. Authorities seized drugs, weapons, and cash, identifying several detainees as affiliates of the gang."
On January 28, the alleged ringleader of a Tren de Aragua cell was also arrested during a raid in New York City, months after going viral for a video that showed three heavily armed men breaking into an apartment in the city of Aurora, Colorado.
The Trump administration has been pursuing international agreements to facilitate deportations. On February 2, Trump announced that Venezuela had agreed to accept deported Venezuelan nationals, including gang members, and would provide transportation for their return.
The U.S. also announced this week that El Salvador President Nayib Bukele offered to house foreign nationals in its prison system, including criminals from notorious gangs such as Tren de Aragua. "We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee," Bukele stated.
Tren de Aragua, originally formed in Venezuelan prisons, has expanded its operations across the Americas, engaging in crimes such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, and extortion. The gang gained national attention in the U.S. after a video surfaced showing armed members breaking into an apartment in Aurora, Colorado.
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