A group of sixteen alleged former members of the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua —now part of the transnational criminal organization Anti-Tren— is facing serious charges of drug and firearm trafficking in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
The federal indictment against this faction of the Tren de Aragua (TDA) includes multiple serious charges such as possession of ammunition by a prohibited person and unlicensed firearm trafficking, attributed to several of those named.
Moreover, several individuals are accused of illegal possession of a machine gun and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, specifically five kilograms or more. The drug conspiracy charges are separated into two distinct counts involving two different groups of defendants.
The Federal Indictment Against Anti Tren
A Grand Jury in the Southern District of Texas filed a formal indictment against sixteen individuals for a series of serious federal offenses. These include seven charges encompassing conspiracy for drug trafficking, illegal firearm trafficking, and possession of prohibited weapons.
The main charges describe two distinct yet simultaneous conspiracies to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, involving a total of fifteen defendants.
Additionally, specific charges are laid against certain individuals for engaging in unlicensed firearm dealings, possessing a conversion device for a machine gun, and possession of ammunition by a person with a history of domestic violence.
The overlap of defendants in the firearm and drug charges indicates a direct connection between drug trafficking and arms trafficking in this alleged criminal organization.
CaseUnited States of America v. Raúl Armando Ramírez Correa et al.Case Number4:25-cr-00399CourtUnited States District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston DivisionDate FiledJuly 23, 2025ProsecutionU.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Aníbal J. Alaniz
The defendants:
Raúl Armando Ramírez Correa, Peter Dávila Núñez, César Oskeiber Cabezas Pacheco, Embeer Gutiérrez Ternawsky, Otis José Rodríguez García, Raúl Antonio Claros Sarmiento, Dany N. Rojas, Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento, Pedro Hernández Delgado, Darwin Martínez, Archerlin Ismael León Bervin, Andys Luis Álvarez Herrera, Jesús Fernández Yroconiz, Luis Miguel Vásquez Sumosa, César Mauricio Velásquez, José Miguel Briceño
The Charges
The indictment consists of seven distinct charges that can be grouped into two main categories: firearm-related offenses and drug trafficking offenses.
Firearm and Ammunition-Related Charges
These charges focus on the illegal possession and trafficking of firearms and ammunition, violating multiple federal statutes.
Charge 1: Possession of ammunition by a prohibited person
Defendant: José Miguel Briceño.
Allegation: He is accused of possessing Smith and Wesson .40 caliber ammunition around March 23, 2025.
Basis for Prohibition: Briceño had a prior conviction for a misdemeanor of domestic violence (assault causing bodily injury to a family member, G.M.F.) in Montgomery County, Texas, legally prohibiting him from possessing ammunition.
Charges 2, 3, and 4: Unlicensed firearm trafficking
Defendants: Raúl Armando Ramírez Correa, Embeer Gutiérrez Ternawsky, and Raúl Antonio Claros Sarmiento.
Allegation: These three individuals are separately charged with willfully engaging in the business of importing, manufacturing, and trafficking firearms without possessing the required federal license.
Activity Period: The illegal activities happened from around May 2, 2025 (for Ramirez Correa and Gutierrez Ternawsky) and May 6, 2025 (for Claros Sarmiento), continuing until the date of the indictment.
Charge 5: Illegal possession of a machine gun
Defendant: Embeer Gutiérrez Ternawsky.
Allegation: He is accused of knowingly possessing and transferring a machine gun conversion device, designed to modify an AR-15 rifle to fire automatically, which occurred around June 25, 2025.
Conspiracy for Drug Trafficking Charges
Charges six and seven describe two parallel conspiracies to distribute a significant amount of cocaine.
Charge 6: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (Group 1)
Defendants (9): Raúl Armando Ramírez Correa, César Oskeiber Cabezas Pacheco, Peter Dávila Núñez, Otis José Rodríguez García, Dany N. Rojas, Pedro Hernández Delgado, Archerlin Ismael León Bervin, Jesús Fernández Yroconiz, and Embeer Gutiérrez Ternawsky.
Allegation: These individuals conspired with each other and with other known or unknown persons for the intention to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture containing cocaine.
Conspiracy Period: From June 1, 2025, to June 26, 2025.
Charge 7: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (Group 2)
Defendants (6): Raúl Antonio Claros Sarmiento, Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento, Darwin Martínez, Andys Luis Álvarez Herrera, Luis Miguel Vásquez Sumosa, and César Mauricio Velásquez.
Allegation: Like the previous group, they conspired to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture containing cocaine.
Conspiracy Period: From June 1, 2025, to June 26, 2025.
Relevant Links and Patterns
The indictment reveals key patterns and connections among the defendants and the alleged crimes.
Connection Between Weapons and Narcotics:
Several defendants face charges for both arms trafficking and drug trafficking. Specifically, Raúl Armando Ramírez Correa, Embeer Gutiérrez Ternawsky, and Raúl Antonio Claros Sarmiento are involved in both criminal activities, suggesting a possible synergy where firearms were used to facilitate or protect drug trafficking operations.
Conspiracy Structure:
The prosecution divides the fifteen drug trafficking defendants into two distinct groups (Charges 6 and 7), which operated during the same period. This indicates the existence of two operational cells or distribution networks that, although processed in the same indictment, may have functioned independently or in parallel.
Possible Family Ties:
The last names of Raúl Antonio Claros Sarmiento and Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento, both defendants together in Charge 7, suggest a family relationship within one of the narcotics trafficking conspiracy cells.
Motion for Reconsideration of Detention
The defense for co-defendant Embeer Gutierrez Ternawsky, currently detained at the Joe Corley Detention Center in Conroe, Texas, has filed a motion for reconsideration of his pretrial detention. They argue that the initial decision to detain the defendant without bail is unjustified and request his release under strict conditions.
Gutiérrez Ternawsky faces the following charges according to the Grand Jury indictment:
Charge 3: Unlicensed firearm trafficking (Violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(1)(A), 923(a), 924(a)(1)(D)).
Charge 5: Illegal possession of a machine gun (Violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(o)(1), 924(a)(2) and 18 U.S.C. § 2).
Charge 6: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance (Violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A)).
After a detention hearing on July 7, 2025, the magistrate judge, Peter Bray, ordered the defendant’s detention based on four main factors:
- Severity of the crime
- Presence of firearms
- Risk of flight
- Lack of community ties
The defense counters the detention order by arguing that the court incorrectly applied the statutory factors and failed to adequately consider mitigating circumstances.
Among other arguments, the defense flips the court’s logic, saying the defendant’s ties to Venezuela are a reason not to flee to that country, as he entered the U.S. seeking asylum due to fears of returning to his homeland.
They highlight that the defendant has no criminal record, has stable residency, family, and community support, and is not a flight risk, especially given the circumstances in Venezuela and the strict conditions of proposed release.
Mother Appeals to the Court
María Angélica Ternawskyj, mother of Embeer Josué Gutiérrez, appealed through a letter directed to the Court for her son’s release, stating his good character and that he supports her financially due to her illness.
Ternawskyj expressed disbelief at the charges and emphasized that her son poses no danger and does not belong to any criminal gangs.
See in Sin Filtros “U.S. Takes Action: War Against Maduro, Petro, and the Cartel of the Suns”: