FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - Federal prosecutors have unsealed a five-count indictment charging five alleged members of the Venezuelan transnational gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in connection with a ruthless kidnapping and execution-style murder outside Dallas.
Federal gang crackdown
The charges, announced Thursday, highlight an expansive federal crackdown on the gang, which has since been designated a foreign terrorist organization.
The indictment, returned June 30 by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, details a violent enterprise that utilized intimidation, murder, kidnapping, and financial fraud to protect its territory and profits.
The backstory:
The Texas charges stem from an August 24, 2024, incident in which the defendants allegedly kidnapped three individuals—a father, his 13-year-old daughter, and his 12-year-old nephew—to maintain and increase their position within the gang. According to officials, when the captors realized their financial extortion demands could not be met, they pulled over near a Dallas bridge and ordered the father to jump. When he refused and attempted to flee, he was shot in the head and killed in front of the two children.
3 Venezuelan gang members accused of murdering North Texas man, kidnapping 2 kids; 1 suspect at large
Authorities believe the suspects and the murder victim were all members of a Venezuelan street gang running an ATM theft operation. The two kids who were also kidnapped were let go on the side of the road unharmed.
"When he refused to do so and attempted to flee, a TDA member gunned him down, execution style, in front of the two children," Rabel said. Farmers Branch police later discovered the man dead on the side of the road from a single gunshot wound between his eyes. The children were abandoned but survived.
Grand jury indictment
A grand jury has indicted the following five individuals, all citizens and nationals of Venezuela who are alleged to have entered the United States illegally during the prior administration:
- Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, 36, also known as "Murry" or "Munra," identified by prosecutors as a regional cell leader who directed the gang's local affairs, including racketeering, kidnapping, and bank fraud.
- Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27, who faces additional specific charges for using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.
- Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31, charged alongside Garcia Zuniga and Zambrano Bolivar with murder in aid of racketeering.
- Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23, charged with racketeering conspiracy and kidnapping in aid of racketeering.
- Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, 39, also known as "El Ingeniero" or "El Negro," charged with racketeering conspiracy and kidnapping in aid of racketeering.
About Trend de Aragua
According to prosecutors, TdA operates via a network of regional subsets or geographic cells across the United States, including North Texas. Local leaders manage day-to-day operations, collect money from gang activities, and funnel criminally derived proceeds back to higher-ranking gang leaders stationed across the U.S., Mexico, and South America.
What they're saying:
"This indictment of TdA gang members is a significant step to ensure that this dangerous transnational gang does not oppress, intimidate or harm our fellow North Texans," said Ryan Raybould, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. "Let this serve as a warning to all TdA members: you will not gain a stronghold in the Northern District of Texas."
What's next:
If convicted, all five defendants face up to life in prison. Due to the capital nature of the violent offenses, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano also face the possibility of the death penalty.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Department of Justice and previous reporting.