Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that an alleged high-ranking leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has been extradited from Colombia to the United States to face terrorism and international drug trafficking charges.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, 24-year-old Venezuelan national Jose Enrique Martinez Flores arrived in Houston this week and was scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan on May 15.
🚨 Today the FBI and our partners extradited the highest ranking member of Tren de Aragua (TdA) ever brought to justice – Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, aka "Chuqui.
Flores just arrived in Houston from Colombia this evening.
This is the first time ever that a TdA member has…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 14, 2026
Federal authorities allege Flores, also known as “Chuqui,” served as a senior leader within Tren de Aragua, commonly referred to as TdA, and operated within the organization’s leadership structure in Bogotá.
Prosecutors charged Flores with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and participating in an international cocaine trafficking conspiracy involving at least five kilograms of cocaine allegedly intended for distribution inside the United States.
According to court allegations, Flores oversaw criminal operations tied to Tren de Aragua in Colombia, including drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and murder. Federal prosecutors further allege proceeds from cocaine trafficking operations were used to support and expand the gang’s criminal activities.
The case marks the first extradition of an alleged Tren de Aragua member from Colombia to the United States following the State Department’s February 2025 designation of the gang as both a foreign terrorist organization and a specially designated global terrorist entity.
Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck said the prosecution is part of broader federal efforts targeting transnational criminal organizations operating across the Western Hemisphere.
Federal authorities said Flores was originally arrested by Colombian officials on March 31, 2025, after the United States requested a provisional arrest warrant.
The indictment also names three additional alleged Tren de Aragua leaders: Yohan Jose Romero, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano.
Mosquera Serrano, who prosecutors allege was also involved in cocaine trafficking operations, currently remains on the FBI’s Federal Bureau of Investigation Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Authorities said Romero and Rivas Nunez also remain fugitives.
The U.S. State Department is offering rewards of up to $4 million for information leading to Romero’s arrest or conviction and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.
The investigation was conducted through Joint Task Force Vulcan and the Homeland Security Task Force, both of which coordinate federal, state, local, and international law enforcement operations targeting transnational gangs, drug trafficking organizations, and foreign criminal networks.
Authorities said multiple agencies participated in the investigation, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Colombian law enforcement agencies.
If convicted, Flores faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that the allegations contained in the indictment remain accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
