Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that federal authorities have arrested more than 2,700 individuals connected to transnational criminal organizations now designated as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), marking a significant milestone in the Trump administration’s crackdown on violent international crime.
Among those arrested are members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), the violent Venezuelan prison gang labeled an FTO by the Trump administration in February.
Bondi’s announcement came just hours after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the authority of district judges to impose nationwide injunctions—an issue that has repeatedly hampered the Trump administration’s immigration and enforcement efforts.
“For too long, rogue judges have blocked President Trump’s policies with nationwide rulings that were never within their power to issue,” Bondi said. “These lawless injunctions granted global relief far beyond the scope of the lawsuits. That era is now over.”
She added, “A few judges tried to hijack the executive branch’s authority and act like emperors. They vetoed our ability to govern. The Supreme Court just reminded them that they can’t.”
According to The Center Square, five of the 94 federal judicial districts were responsible for issuing 35 of the 40 nationwide injunctions that targeted Trump-era policies since he returned to office.
“These rulings obstructed everything from tariffs and immigration to national security and military readiness,” Bondi said. “This decision is a turning point.”
Crackdown on FTOs Accelerates
As of Friday, federal agencies including Homeland Security Investigations, ICE, and the FBI have arrested 2,711 individuals affiliated with FTO-designated transnational gangs and cartels. The administration has pursued a more aggressive approach to targeting these networks following President Trump’s January executive order authorizing their classification as foreign terrorist organizations.
In February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally designated eight major criminal organizations as FTOs:
- Tren de Aragua (Venezuela)
- Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) (El Salvador)
- Cartel de Sinaloa (Mexico)
- Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) (Mexico)
- Carteles Unidos (Mexico)
- Cartel del Noreste (CDN) (Mexico)
- Cartel del Golfo (CDG) (Mexico)
- La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) (Mexico)
In May, two notorious Haitian gangs—Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif—were also designated as FTOs and labeled Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Nationwide Crime, Foreign Links
The Trump administration ramped up its focus on foreign criminal organizations following a surge in illegal immigration from countries such as Venezuela, El Salvador, and Mexico—nations that are home to several of the designated FTOs. As the border crisis intensified, the reach of gangs like Tren de Aragua reportedly spread to at least 22 U.S. states, according to exclusive reporting by The Center Square.
Beyond Latin America, the administration is also increasing scrutiny of foreign criminals with ties to adversarial nations like China and state sponsors of terrorism, including Iran.
The National Counterterrorism Center reported that in Trump’s first 100 days back in office, nearly 1,200 suspected terrorists had been identified as illegally present in the U.S.
Next Steps
With the Supreme Court ruling curbing nationwide injunctions, Bondi indicated the administration will swiftly seek to reverse court orders blocking key Trump policies—including those related to immigration enforcement, border security, and national defense.
“This ruling unlocks our ability to fully implement the president’s agenda,” she said. “We will move quickly to restore policies that protect Americans and uphold the rule of law.”
