Executive Summary
- Two alleged leaders of Tren de Aragua were indicted by a Colorado grand jury on RICO charges.
- Suspects are linked to a $4 million jewelry heist and a violent kidnapping involving torture.
- One suspect, Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, is on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted List.
- The investigation involved cooperation between US federal agents and Colombian police.
A Colorado grand jury has indicted two suspected leaders of the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua on charges related to a series of violent crimes across the state, including armed robbery and kidnapping. According to federal and local authorities, Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano face prosecution under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act following an investigation that linked them to organized criminal activity between May 2024 and March 2025.
The indictment identifies Suarez Villegas, also known as “Chino San Vicente,” and Mosquera Serrano, known as “Jovani San Vicente” or “El Viejo,” as key figures in the alleged conspiracy. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado stated that the charges stem from multiple violent incidents, including a major jewelry heist and a kidnapping involving torture. Mosquera Serrano has also been designated by the State Department as the first alleged member of Tren de Aragua to be placed on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted List.
According to court filings, the two men are accused of orchestrating the armed robbery of Joyeria El Ruby, a Denver-area jewelry store, in June 2024. Investigators allege that the suspects, along with accomplices, stole approximately $4 million worth of jewelry and gold. The indictment details that during the robbery, the perpetrators brutally beat several employees with firearms, leaving multiple victims injured. Another individual involved in the heist, Newman Castillo-Delgado, pleaded guilty to related charges and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on December 17.
The Denver Police Department reported that Suarez Villegas is also facing charges for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, cyberstalking, and firearms offenses connected to a separate incident in October 2024. Authorities allege that this crime involved the ransom, torture, and disfigurement of a victim. The investigation, which has led to these indictments, was a collaborative effort involving the FBI Denver Field Office, the Denver Police Department, and international partners including the Colombian National Police GAULA ELITE unit and the DEA Bogota Country Office.
Transnational Organized Crime Enforcement
The application of the RICO Act against alleged leaders of Tren de Aragua signifies a strategic escalation in federal law enforcement’s approach to dismantling the gang’s operations within the United States. By leveraging statutes designed to combat organized crime syndicates, prosecutors are able to target the leadership structure rather than solely focusing on individual street-level offenses. This indictment, coupled with the collaboration between U.S. and Colombian authorities, highlights the increasing priority placed on disrupting transnational criminal networks that have expanded their footprint into American communities. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
