Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, a 24-year-old Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking leader of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) organization, has been extradited from Colombia to Houston to face charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and international drug distribution.
Flores, also known as "Chuqui," is accused of being part of TdA's senior leadership in Bogota, Colombia, overseeing criminal activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and murder. The indictment alleges his involvement in distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine in Colombia, intended for the United States, with proceeds used to further TdA's criminal goals. He was arrested in Colombia on March 31, 2025, and is scheduled for an initial appearance on May 15 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan in the Southern District of Texas.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist on February 20, 2025. A second superseding indictment, returned on December 16, 2025, also charges three other TdA leaders—Yohan Jose Romero, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano—with similar material support conspiracies. Mosquera Serrano is additionally named in the cocaine distribution charges alongside Flores.
If convicted, Flores faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison and a $10 million fine. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan, with significant assistance from Colombian authorities and the Homeland Security Task Force. Jose Romero and Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez remain fugitives, as does Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, who is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List, with rewards offered for information leading to their arrests.