Federal authorities assert they have “decimated” the Trinitarios gang’s power structure in Massachusetts after indicting 26 alleged members on RICO conspiracy charges tied to several murders, drug trafficking and other violent crimes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts filed the RICO charges related to a series of murder investigations involving the Dominican-based Trinitarios gang. The indictment outlines allegations of brutal murders, violent crime, drug trafficking, firearm offenses and more.
Federal authorities announced the sweeping bust Tuesday, June 9 during a press conference after unsealing the indictment. Nine individuals were arrested Tuesday, and others were already in custody, NBC Boston reported.
A Homeland Security Task Force led the multijurisdictional investigation into the gang’s criminal activity in Massachusetts. The probe also resulted in the arrest of seven illegal aliens who have either been deported or are currently in deportation proceedings, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This week, 26 members of the Trinitarios gang in Massachusetts were indicted for violations of RICO – conspiracy to commit murder.
These charges surround five murders and 19 attempted murders, trafficking of dozens of kilograms of drugs, extortion, kidnapping, and robbery.… https://t.co/zc7BnrPg7b pic.twitter.com/gQ9VN17aW7
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 11, 2026
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and other federal officials detailed the charges against 26 gang members for violations of RICO – conspiracy to commit murder under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it has been “relentless in its efforts to dismantle and decimate” the Trinitarios in Massachusetts over the past two years. The latest charges are part of a larger operation to wipe out the gang’s stronghold in the state and end its reign of terror.
The suspects are alleged gang leaders, members and associates believed to be involved in five murders and 19 attempted murders across Essex County.
They are also accused of trafficking of dozens of kilograms of drugs, extortion, kidnapping, robbery, witness tampering and extortion, officials said.
“It is safe to say that for far too long the Trinitarios have wreaked havoc and instilled fear in our communities,” Foley said. “Their boldness and hubris are quite frankly astounding. It appears the defendants believed they were immune from prosecution. They were wrong.”
The suspects are tied to Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston chapters of the Trinitarios gang, Boston Herald reported.
The unsealed federal indictment and a 465-page affidavit explain the charges and evidence against the 26 members, including Yordali Yorro, the alleged leader of the Lawrence chapter of the Trinitarios, and other senior members.
Yorro was arrested Tuesday morning at his home in Lawrence, where agents stated they also found a large bag containing high-capacity firearms, large amounts of ammunition, and almost two kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl, according to the Boston Herald.
Homeland Security Investigations special agents executed eight federal search warrants and arrested 24 alleged gang members.
“This deadly transnational street gang has inflicted senseless violence and terror upon our communities – from drug trafficking and gun violence to kidnapping and murder – but we are working tirelessly to hold them to account,” said HSI New England Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming.
Investigators believe the group is connected to numerous murders or attempted murders, armed home invasions in Massachusetts and Maine, drug trafficking, and “other horrific acts of violence.”
The affidavit shares disturbing details of the investigation, including recordings and recounting of incidents from a forced overdose to punishment beatings to home invasions and the Trinitarios discipline ritual.
Federal authorities released photos of seized firearms and drugs, including over 600 grams of fentanyl and 200 grams of cocaine, cutting agents, items and paraphernalia used in the manufacturing and packaging process.
“As a result, more than two dozen dangerous individuals are now off the streets, at least 30 illegal firearms have been seized, and kilos of deadly drugs will no longer reach our neighborhoods,” FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted Docks said of the latest indictment Tuesday.
Docks said authorities seized “enough fentanyl over the course of this investigation to kill a staggering one million people, which is a little more than entire population of Essex County.”
It’s the fourth takedown of Trinitarios gang members in Massachusetts since 2019. In February 2025, investigators announced charges against 22 members of the Trinitarios Lynn chapter, including the alleged “state supreme” of Massachusetts and the second in command.
“We believe that between through the arrests in February ’25 and today that their entire leadership has been taken out. If they try to resurrect themselves, we will take them out again,” Foley said.
The Trinitarios is a violent street gang founded in New York City in the 1990s and widely considered to be one of the most brutal and dangerous operating in the country.
The Trump administration has formally designated several international cartels and transnational street gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the Venezuelan syndicate Tren de Aragua.
The Trinitarios was not among the list. Instead, the U.S. government classifies the Trinitarios as a violent transnational criminal organization and a severe street gang
