The Department of Justice, under President Trump, has announced a total reward of up to $50 million for information that results in the arrest or conviction of three leaders of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA). The reward program follows a superseding indictment filed in July 2026 in the Southern District of Texas.
Who is wanted
The three men named in the indictment are:
- Yohan José Romero, 48 – known by the aliases “Yohan Petrica,” “Petrica,” “Viejo,” and “Darwin.”
- Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, 37 – also called “El Viejo.” He appears on the FBI’s list of ten most‑wanted fugitives.
- Juan Gabriel Rivas Núñez, 44 – known as “Juancho.”
The reward is divided as follows: up to $20 million for Romero, up to $15 million for Mosquera Serrano, and up to $15 million for Rivas Núñez.
Charges and criminal activity
All three were previously charged in 2025 for conspiring to provide material support to Tren de Aragua, which the Justice Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The July 2026 superseding indictment adds further counts, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine and to engage in international cocaine trafficking.
According to the Department’s release, Tren de Aragua began as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid‑2000s and has since expanded throughout the Western Hemisphere, establishing a presence in the United States. The group’s criminal portfolio includes drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, extortion, murder, assault, and financial crimes such as ATM jackpotting. The indictment alleges that TdA’s ATM‑jackpotting scheme has affected 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several foreign nations.
Law‑enforcement response
The investigation is a joint effort involving the FBI, DEA, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Colombian National Police, the Colombian Attorney General’s Office, and the Justice Department’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and Office of International Affairs.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the FBI via text, WhatsApp, or Telegram at 281‑787‑9939, to reach a local FBI field office, or to submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. The Justice Department emphasized that the reward program reflects the administration’s commitment to protecting American communities from transnational criminal threats.
Trump administration’s stance
Attorney General Todd Blanche highlighted the administration’s aggressive approach, noting that since President Trump returned to office, the Justice Department has charged more than 350 members and associates of Tren de Aragua. Blanche stated, “Their criminal enterprise spreads fear, violence, and lawlessness, and we will not stop until those responsible are brought to justice.”
The reward offer underscores the Trump administration’s focus on national security, border integrity, and the protection of American families from foreign‑linked violent crime.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
