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Orlando, FL - A man believed to be a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has been arrested in Florida, marking the first reported detention under the Alien Enemies Act.
In a historic move under a centuries-old law, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVlXJh4f0_8&ab_channel=FOX35Orlando was taken into custody Thursday by Florida authorities in a joint operation involving the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Homeland Security Task Force based in Orlando.
Law enforcement officials allege that Jimenez-Bracho is affiliated with the Tren de Aragua organization and was wanted for human trafficking and smuggling activities.
Authorities claim Jimenez-Bracho’s arrest is the first in the United States carried out under the Alien Enemies Act, a rarely used law from 1798 that allows the federal government to detain or deport noncitizens from nations considered hostile during times of conflict.
The act was recently invoked by former President Donald Trump amid growing concerns over transnational criminal networks entering the country.
ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons addressed the arrest at a news conference, calling Tren de Aragua “a dangerous foreign criminal enterprise” and alleging its members have infiltrated the U.S. through multiple entry points, including land borders and waterways. review.
According to Lyons, the group is tied to violent crimes such as murder, human trafficking, extortion, and drug smuggling.
Tren de Aragua originated inside a Venezuelan prison and has rapidly expanded its presence across Latin America and the U.S.
While Jimenez-Bracho remains in custody, a federal judge has temporarily halted deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, pending further legal