Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; William Walker, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that ANDERSON ZAMBRANO-PACHECO was arrested on January 28, 2025, and charged via a criminal Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court with being a fugitive from justice in possession of a firearm. ZAMBRANO-PACHECO was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis, who ordered that ZAMBRANO-PACHECO be detained.
U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, the defendant—a member of the violent Venezuelan transnational gang known as Tren de Aragua—went on the lam for several months after committing an armed home invasion and other crimes in Colorado. When he was located and arrested in New York City, he was found with a gun and ammunition. This Office is committed to addressing the threat of Tren de Aragua head-on. Thanks to the work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, the defendant is now apprehended and members of Tren de Aragua are being brought to justice.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker said: “Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco is an alleged dangerous fugitive affiliated with Tren de Aragua, a violent transnational criminal organization known for terrorizing the American public as seen in horrifying videos from Colorado. HSI’s operation yesterday is proof that collaboration between federal, state and law enforcement partners is essential to combat emerging threats and trends to our communities wherever we encounter them. We are committed to leading multijurisdictional and international investigations that target gang leaders, members and associates in the United States and abroad to maintain public safety.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed today:[1]
Law enforcement officers have been conducting an investigation of suspected members and affiliates of the violent transnational gang Tren de Aragua (“TDA”), including ZAMBRANO-PACHECO. TDA originated in Venezuela and has established a substantial foothold in the U.S., including in New York City. There are substantial intra-gang conflicts within TDA, and, in some cases, TDA members have disavowed the gang and described themselves as “Anti-Tren.” TDA members have engaged in numerous shootings and murders, and much of this violence is driven by hostilities between TDA and “Anti-Tren” members.
On August 18, 2024, police officers in Aurora, Colorado, responded to the report of a shooting that left one person dead. Surveillance footage from a nearby apartment building showed six armed men—including a person later identified to be ZAMBRANO-PACHECO—entering two apartment units while armed with handguns and an assault rifle. A warrant was issued for ZAMBRANO-PACHECO’s arrest in Colorado on or about September 17, 2024, based on an arrest affidavit seeking to charge ZAMBRANO-PACHECO with burglary and menacing. On or about October 22, 2024, a separate warrant was issued for ZAMBRANO-PACHECO’s arrest relating to other charges, including kidnapping, criminal extortion, and menacing.
On January 28, 2025, law enforcement tracked ZAMBRANO-PACHECO to an apartment in the Bronx, New York. Law enforcement officers found ZAMBRANO-PACHECO and his girlfriend in one of the bedrooms. In the course of securing ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, law enforcement saw a Smith and Wesson 9mm Pro Series pistol in a dresser drawer near ZAMBRANO-PACHECO. The gun was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition.
ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, 26, of Venezuela, is charged with being a fugitive in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative efforts of HSI New York, HSI Denver, the Aurora Police Department, the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol’s Intelligence Unit, and the NYPD. She added that the investigation is ongoing.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, and Timothy Ly are in charge of the prosecution.
The charge contained in the Complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
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