Ten alleged members of international gun trafficking gang arrested in Queens

The guns seized from international gang Tren de Aragua after 10 alleged members were arrested and arraigned in Queens this week. Eagle photo by Noah Powelson

By Noah Powelson

The NYPD and Queens district attorney’s office arrested and charged 10 alleged members of the international weapon trafficking gang Tren de Aragua this week.

The alleged gang members face a 120-count indictment for the criminal possession and sale of firearms and illegal substances to various degrees throughout Queens and New York City. A year-long investigation that utilized undercover officers and controlled purchases of illegal goods eventually led to raids on the alleged gang members on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

The operation, called “Operation Train Derail” by the NYPD, seized 48 grams of a drug cocktail known as tusi or “pink cocaine” and 34 guns.

“The geographic scope of their alleged conduct extended on a national level to include Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Colorado and internationally to Colombia,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “As a result of our investigation, 34 dangerous weapons are now off the streets, and we are dismantling this gang as it attempts to establish itself locally.”

Tren de Aragua is an international criminal organization based out of Venezuela designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. The Queens ring allegedly made use of the Iron Pipeline, where they purchased guns for cheap in southern states with less strict gun laws and smuggled them for a profit into New York and New Jersey.

The 10 defendants face a myriad of charges in varying degrees of severity. But the alleged ringleaders of the group, 24-year-old Enyerbert Blanco and 27-year-old Wrallan Meza, face the highest charges. According to the Queens DA’s office, Blanco and Meza had arrived in the United States from Venezuela two years ago and led the recruitment and management of the gun trafficking ring in Queens.

Both Blanco and Meza face 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

“Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a press conference. “Today’s indictment makes clear that we will not let them terrorize our streets with illegal guns, assault weapons, and dangerous narcotics that threaten all our communities.”

The guns sold for as low as $1,200 to as high as $2,800. Sales and transactions were communicated through the messaging service WhatsApp. The defendants allegedly sent video of guns to prospective buyers as advertisement, which the NYPD said they’ve gathered as evidence in the case.

The DA’s office said they were aware of at least 22 firearm transactions during the investigation. Many of the firearm sales were made in the early afternoon, sometimes around 1 or 2 p.m., and took place in public parking lots of businesses like Target.

“This group was very open with its dealings,” Katz said.

While Blanco and Meza organized the gang and often procured firearms from other states, the other defendants facilitated the transportation and sales of firearms both within and outside New York City. For each sale, defendants who sold the guns received a cut.

The other eight defendants are Leoner Aguilera, Brayant Aguilar, Rosemary Sanchez, Enyerling Zambrano, Alejandro J. Rondon and Oscar Q. Sosa.

Sosa, who is charged with the lowest charge of his co-defendants, faces a maximum of seven years if convicted.

Two other members of the group have not been arrested and the NYPD are still searching for them. Their names were not given.

The Queens DA office said most of the defendants have been in the U.S. since 2023.

Given the nationality of the defendants and the recent overhaul of ICE raids and deoporation proceedings under President Donald Trump, Katz said that she had no plans of coordinating the deportation of the defendants.

From left to right, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said they do not plan to turn 10 alleged gang members arrested this week over to ICE. Eagle photo by Noah Powelson

“My job is to make sure we get the guns off the street,” Katz said. “From my perspective [the defendants] will stay here, they will stand trial and they will serve their time for bringing guns into [Queens].”

Earlier this week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents made a handful of arrests in the Bronx, where they were joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The recent deportation efforts made by President Donald Trump during his first weeks in office have made Queens residents and immigrant advocates worried the NYPD will work with ICE during their raids.

“We’re being painfully clear on our attention and participation in these operations,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said during a press conference. “We, the NYPD, are not participating in any civil enforcement of immigration laws. What we are participating in is investigations and operations involving criminals.”

Tisch echoed Katz and Kenny’s comments, saying the NYPD are only interested in criminals.

“Nothing about this department’s posture has changed in the past week or the past several weeks,” Tisch said. “The mayor has been very clear that we are going to go after criminals regardless of their immigration status.”