Overview
- Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, a 24-year-old alleged Tren de Aragua leader, was flown from Colombia to Houston and is set for an initial court appearance Friday morning.
- He is charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and with an international cocaine distribution conspiracy involving five kilograms or more.
- If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a $10 million fine, with prosecutors alleging drug proceeds helped fund the gang’s operations.
- The FBI said this marks the first extradition to the United States of a Tren de Aragua member facing terrorism-related charges, following his March 31, 2025 arrest by Colombian authorities on a U.S. request.
- The prosecution is part of Joint Task Force Vulcan and Homeland Security Task Force efforts launched after the State Department’s February 20, 2025 terror designation, and a Houston grand jury has also charged three fugitive leaders, including an FBI Top Ten target with multimillion-dollar rewards posted.