The FBI has added Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, a senior leader of the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua gang, to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. He is the first member of Tren de Aragua to appear on the list.
Mosquera Serrano is accused of directing narcotics production, managing financial operations and overseeing recruitment for Tren de Aragua, according to U.S. prosecutors and Treasury sanctions.
President Donald Trump designated the group a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year. The gang was founded in 2014 in a Venezuelan prison.
What charges does Mosquera Serrano face?
Mosquera Serrano was initially indicted in January 2025 on federal charges in the Southern District of Texas, according to the Houston Chronicle. In April, a superseding indictment expanded the case to five counts, detailing one count of conspiring to provide material support, one count of providing material support, one count of drug distribution conspiracy and two counts of international drug distribution. Authorities unsealed the indictment on Tuesday, June 24.
The indictment alleges that between May 2024 and March 2025, Mosquera Serrano and associates produced approximately 29 kilograms of cocaine — about 64 pounds — in Colombia intended for U.S. distribution. Additional allegations involve supplying personnel to Tren de Aragua to support its criminal activities.
Prosecutors say he oversees Tren de Aragua’s criminal operations across Colombia, Central America and the United States.
How is this part of broader federal operations?
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative targeting transnational criminal organizations. Joint Task Force Vulcan, focused initially on MS-13, now also targets Tren de Aragua under expanded Justice Department authority.
“Transnational criminal gangs and cartels have preyed upon Americans for far too long,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said. “That ends now. The Southern District of Texas is committed to smashing these criminal terror groups and will use every available legal tool to do so. It doesn’t matter if you are hiding a continent away; if you hurt U.S. citizens, we will find you and bring you to justice. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.”
What role does Tren de Aragua play globally?
Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela but has expanded across Latin America and into the United States. The gang engages in drug and weapons trafficking, human smuggling, extortion and violent crime. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Mosquera Serrano under executive orders targeting both terrorist organizations and transnational criminal groups. These sanctions freeze any assets he may hold in the U.S. and prohibit U.S. entities from conducting transactions with him.
What is the U.S. government doing to locate Mosquera Serrano?
The FBI believes Mosquera Serrano may be in Venezuela or Colombia. The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to $3 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the FBI through WhatsApp, Telegram or tips.fbi.gov.
Why has the case drawn wider attention?
While Mosquera Serrano’s charges center on drug trafficking and material support, Tren de Aragua’s broader activities include multiple violent crimes.
Though the National Intelligence Council described Tren de Aragua as a decentralized network operating in small cells, U.S. law enforcement continues to view its leadership as central to coordinating its international criminal operations.
