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, specifically in Farmers Branch, Texas.
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 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.
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 semi-automatic rifle 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 Tren 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.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, stated, ‘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.’ 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.
Original reporting: Dallas – Ft. Worth Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
