The Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), is announcing reward offers totaling up to $12 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions in any country of Tren de Aragua leaders Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero, a/k/a "Niño Guerrero" (up to $5 million), Yohan Jose Romero, a/k/a "Johan Petrica" (up to $4 million), and Giovanny San Vicente, a/k/a "Giovanny," a/k/a "Viejo Viejo," a/k/a "El Viejo" (up to $3 million). These State Department rewards are offered in coordination with the Government of Colombia and are also announced in coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control's designation of Tren de Aragua as a Significant Transnational Criminal Organization pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, as amended by E.O. 13863.
Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organization that began as a prison gang in the Tocorón Prison in the state of Aragua in Venezuela. Over the past six years, Tren de Aragua leader Niño Guerrero has expanded the group's criminal network throughout South America and recently extended north into Central America and the United States.
Through collaboration with the Colombian National Police (CNP), the United States believes Tren de Aragua leaders Niño Guerrero and Giovanny are in Colombia. Investigation and intelligence further identified Tren de Aragua co-founder Johan Petrica as another Tren de Aragua leader believed to be in Venezuela.
The Colombian National Police have been very successful over the past year in apprehending many Tren de Aragua leaders and violent members in Colombia, including the June 27 arrest of Salomón Fernández Torres, alias "El Salomón," one of the leaders of Tren de Aragua in Bogotá and Soacha. The following week, the Colombian National Police arrested TdA co-founder Larry Alvarez Nuñez, alias "Larry Changa." After the arrest of Fernández, the mayor of Bogotá, Carlos Fernando Galan, announced the primary objectives in Bogotá would be to locate and arrest alias Giovanny and overall Tren de Aragua leader Niño Guerrero.
