An alleged Tren de Aragua leader was extradited to Houston and faces terrorism and drug trafficking charges tied to cocaine distribution.
HOUSTON — A Venezuelan man accused of helping lead a foreign terrorist organization has been extradited from Colombia and is set to appear in federal court in Houston.
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, 24, also known as “Chuqui,” is scheduled for an initial appearance on May 15 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan. Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck announced the case.
Flores is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and part of its inner leadership circle in Bogotá, Colombia.
Authorities in Colombia arrested Flores on March 31, 2025, following a provisional arrest warrant requested by the United States. He has since been extradited to Houston.
According to court allegations, Flores faces charges of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and providing that support. Prosecutors say the support included personnel and services.
The indictment also accuses him of participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy involving five kilograms or more of cocaine intended for distribution in the United States. Authorities allege the proceeds were used to further the group’s criminal activities.
Investigators say Flores oversaw operations in Colombia that included drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution and murder.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment in December 2025 that also charges three other alleged Tren de Aragua leaders. One of them, Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, is also accused alongside Flores in the cocaine conspiracy.
Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, while two others — Yohan Jose Romero and Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez — remain fugitives. The U.S. government is offering multimillion-dollar rewards for information leading to their arrests.
The U.S. Department of State designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025.
If convicted, Flores faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas with support from Joint Task Force Vulcan and the Houston-based Homeland Security Task Force, along with multiple federal, state and international law enforcement partners. Colombian authorities and U.S. officials in Bogotá assisted in securing Flores’ arrest and extradition.
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