10 members of 'Tren de Aragua' gang indicted in sprawling NYC gun trafficking ring
Ten alleged gang members were indicted on criminal charges relating to a gun trafficking operation in Queens and other parts of New York City.
Ten alleged gang members were indicted on criminal charges relating to a gun trafficking operation that conducted firearm sales in Queens and other parts of New York City, the Queens district attorney and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced Wednesday.
The individuals arrested and charged are suspected to be members of the Venezuelan gang ‘Tren de Aragua,’ which of late has allegedly recruited kids to commit crimes across the five boroughs.
Operation Train Derail — the undercover investigation around the Venezuelan gang — also resulted in the seizure of 34 firearms and 48 grams of “pink cocaine,” a drug cocktail also known as tusi.
“As alleged, the defendants conspired to traffic and sell illegal firearms and drugs in New York City, with each defendant playing a different role in furtherance of Tren de Aragua’s agenda,” said Queens DA Melinda Katz. “The geographic scope of their alleged conduct extended on a national level to include Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Colorado and internationally to Colombia. As a result of our investigation, 34 dangerous weapons are now off the streets, and we are dismantling this gang as it attempts to establish itself locally.”
The operation dates back to June, when members of the DA’s office and the NYPD Firearms Investigation Unit began the undercover investigation in Queens. The officers participated in 22 different gun sales, which included two AR-15 assault riffles sales.
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