The Department of Justice this week filed charges against eight alleged members of Tren de Aragua in Illinois and Texas.
All eight of them unlawfully entered the United States from Venezuela between December 2021 and April 2024, according to the DOJ.
Three of the alleged members were charged with participating in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder a man in Chicago. The victim was forced into a car and later found dead in the bathroom of an abandoned building by Chicago police, the DOJ said.
The DOJ said the alleged gang members from Texas were indicted on racketeering charges involving murder, kidnapping, and other violent offenses in a separate case. One of the defendants from northern Texas is in custody in Colombia for unrelated charges, the DOJ said.
All eight defendants could face life sentences if convicted.
Tren de Aragua is a gang that originated in Venezuela. It is considered a designated terrorist organization in the U.S.
