Treasury Targets Cash Laundering Community Supporting Venezuelan Terrorist Organization Tren de Aragua

Individuals Including Venezuelan Entertainer “Rosita” Involved in Drug-Fueled Parties to Benefit Terrorist Cartel

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned key associates of the designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), Tren de Aragua (TdA).  Notably, as we speak’s motion contains the designation of Venezuelan entertainer Jimena Romina Araya Navarro (a.ok.a. “Rosita”), who’s a part of a community of 5 individuals affiliated with the leisure trade which have supplied materials help to TdA.  Rosita, for instance, reportedly helped the infamous head of TdA, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores (a.ok.a. “Niño Guerrero”) escape from the Tocorón jail in Venezuela in 2012, and others on this community have laundered cash for TdA leaders.  OFAC can also be sanctioning 5 further key TdA associates and one entity positioned in South America. 

“Under President Trump, barbaric terrorist cartels can no longer operate with impunity across our borders. The Tren de Aragua network’s narcotrafficking and human smuggling operations have long posed a grave threat to our nation,” stated Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “At the direction of President Trump, we will continue to use every tool to cut off these terrorists from the U.S. and global financial system and keep American citizens safe.”

TdA is an FTO that originated in Venezuela and continues to broaden all through the Western Hemisphere.  TdA engages in a spread of legal actions, together with drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of girls and youngsters, cash laundering, and murder-for-hire, amongst others.

TREASURY’S CONTINUED EFFORTS AGAINST TdA

Today’s motion is in furtherance of the Trump administration’s coverage to crack down on worldwide cartels and transnational legal organizations.  On July 11, 2024, Treasury sanctioned TdA as a major transnational legal group.  On February 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated TdA as an FTO and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).  On June 24, 2025, OFAC sanctioned Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano (Mosquera Serrano), a senior chief of TdA.  On July 17, 2025, Treasury additionally sanctioned the infamous head of TdA, “Niño Guerrero,” alongside different key leaders and associates of TdA.

Today, the U.S. Department of State can also be saying a reward supply enhance below the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program of as much as $5 million for info resulting in the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano.

Today’s designations are the results of ongoing collaboration with U.S. authorities counterparts, together with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Additionally, OFAC coordinated this motion with worldwide regulation enforcement companions.

KILLING THE BEAT: SANCTIONING TdA-LINKED ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

Today, OFAC is sanctioning a community of people and entities within the leisure trade concerned in offering materials help to TdA.  Venezuelan nationwide Jimena Romina Araya Navarro (a.ok.a. “Rosita”) is a DJ, actress, and mannequin with hundreds of thousands of social media followers.  She is believed to be romantically linked to Niño Guerrero, the sanctioned chief of TdA.  In 2012, she reportedly helped Niño Guerrero escape from the Tocorón jail in Venezuela.  Rosita performs as a DJ in varied nightclubs round Colombia.  A portion of the income generated throughout her performances and occasions is remitted to TdA management.  Specifically, Rosita has carried out within the Bogota nightclub Maiquetia VIP Bar Restaurant, which is owned by her former bodyguard and supervisor, Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernandez (a.ok.a. “Eryk”).  Additionally, Rosita is a shareholder and the president of a Venezuela-based firm, Global Import Solutions S.A.

Until his arrest by Colombian authorities in October 2024, Eryk was the reported monetary and logistics chief for TdA in Bogota, Colombia.  He organized occasions that includes worldwide artists and DJs, together with Rosita.  These events

had been used to promote narcotics for TdA; the proceeds of the drug gross sales had been then laundered.  Specifically, Eryk is understood to have laundered cash for Niño Guerrero and sanctioned senior TdA chief Mosquera Serrano.

Eryk owns the inventive, arts, and leisure companies firm Eryk Producciones SAS, in addition to the Bogota nightclub Maiquetia VIP Bar Restaurant, a venue he has used to promote medicine for TdA.  

Jimena Romina Araya Navarro and Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernandez are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13581, as amended, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or supplied monetary, materials, or technological help for, or items or companies to or in help of TdA.

Eryk Producciones SAS and Maiquetia VIP Bar Restaurant are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or presupposed to act for or on behalf of, instantly or not directly, Eryk.

Global Import Solutions S.A. is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or presupposed to act for or on behalf of, instantly or not directly, Rosita.

TARGETING TdA HIERARCHY

Today, OFAC can also be sanctioning Kenffersso Jhosue Sevilla Arteaga (a.ok.a. “El Flipper”).  Until his arrest in Cucuta, Colombia in November 2025, El Flipper was the righthand man of Niño Guerrero.  He was a monetary chief for TdA and was concerned in extortions, kidnappings, and homicides.  He had shell companies and arranged unlawful rents in Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico, the United States, and Colombia.  El Flipper additionally makes use of the alias “Jose Daniel Martinez Lopez,” below which he owns a Colombia-based entity that’s concerned in wholesale and retail commerce, known as Yakera y Lane SAS.

In addition, OFAC is sanctioning a number of people positioned throughout Venezuela who’re cell leaders or lieutenants of TdA:  Richard Jose Espinal Quintero, Noe Manases Aponte Cordova, and Asdrubal Rafael Escobar Cabrera.  Finally, OFAC can also be sanctioning a half-brother of TdA chief Niño Guerrero, Cheison Royer Guerrero Palma, who was concerned within the group’s enlargement efforts in Chile.  

Kenffersso Jhosue Sevilla Arteaga, Richard Jose Espinal Quintero, Noe Manases Aponte Cordova, Asdrubal Rafael Escobar Cabrera, and Cheison Royer Guerrero Palma are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or presupposed to act for or on behalf of, instantly or not directly, TdA.

Yakera y Lane SAS is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13581, as amended, and pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having acted or presupposed to act for or on behalf of, instantly or not directly, Kenffersso Jhosue Sevilla Arteaga.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a results of as we speak’s motion, all property and pursuits in property of the designated or blocked individuals described above which can be within the United States or within the possession or management of U.S. individuals are blocked and have to be reported to OFAC.  In addition, any entities which can be owned, instantly or not directly, individually or within the combination, 50 % or extra by a number of blocked individuals are additionally blocked.  Unless licensed by a basic or particular license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s laws usually prohibit all transactions by U.S. individuals or inside (or transiting) the United States that contain any property or pursuits in property of blocked individuals.

Violations of U.S. sanctions could outcome within the imposition of civil or legal penalties on U.S. and international individuals.  OFAC could impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict legal responsibility foundation.  OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines present extra info relating to OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. financial sanctions.  In addition, monetary establishments and different individuals could threat publicity to sanctions for participating in sure transactions or actions involving designated or in any other case blocked individuals.  The prohibitions embody the making of any contribution or provision of funds, items, or companies by, to, or for the advantage of any designated or blocked particular person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, items, or companies from any such particular person.

Furthermore, participating in sure transactions involving the individuals designated as we speak could threat the imposition of secondary sanctions on taking part international monetary establishments.  OFAC can prohibit or impose strict situations on opening or sustaining, within the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a international monetary establishment that knowingly conducts or facilitates any vital transaction on behalf of an individual who’s designated pursuant to the related authority.

The energy and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not solely from OFAC’s means to designate and add individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but in addition from its willingness to take away individuals from the SDN List according to the regulation.  The final aim of sanctions is to not punish, however to convey a couple of optimistic change in conduct.  For info in regards to the course of for searching for elimination from an OFAC listing, together with the SDN List, or to submit a request, please discuss with OFAC’s steerage on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.

Click here for more information on the persons designated today.

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