Two senior leaders of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua were indicted for orchestrating a man’s kidnapping and torture as well as burglaries at two Denver jewelry stores from outside the U.S., federal and local law enforcement officials said Thursday.
Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano face charges of racketeering, kidnapping, money laundering, drug distribution, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and weapons charges.
Officials with the , the FBI and the Denver Police Department announced the indictment at the Department of Justice’s Denver office on Thursday afternoon.
Suarez Villegas is in custody in a Colombian prison awaiting extradition to Colorado, and Mosquera Serrano is at large.
Mosquera Serrano, who also goes by the name Jovani San Vicente or El Viejo, is on the FBI’s list of its 10 most wanted fugitives. The agency is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He is not believed to be in Colorado, federal officials said Thursday.
Suarez Villegas and Mosquera Serrano were among dozens of in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York and Texas whose indictments were announced by the Department of Justice on Thursday.
“We have said we are committed to the total elimination of Tren de Aragua and that we will go anywhere in the world to find the people who are responsible for bringing these violent offenses into our communities in Colorado. This case demonstrates it,” U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly said Thursday.
McNeilly declined to provide additional details about how Suarez Villegas and Mosquera Serrano were identified as senior gang leaders who orchestrated the robberies and kidnapping, citing the open court case.
Joyeria El Ruby, a jewelry store at 5108 W. 38th Ave., was robbed in June 2024 when a group of armed men held employees at gunpoint, beat them with guns and stole $4 million in gold and jewelry.
“Suarez Villegas and Mosquera Serrano approved the robbery, and they directed the money be laundered and transmitted back to enrich the leaders of Tren de Aragua outside the United States,” McNeilly said.
The kidnapping charges stem from an October 2024 incident when a man was kidnapped by four people he lived with in the 500 block of South Hazel Court for two days. The suspects tortured him and eventually cut off his finger after his family refused to pay a $30,000 ransom, according to the indictment. Suarez Villegas then ordered him to be killed.
The man escaped and reported the kidnapping to Denver police.
Police Chief Ron Thomas said the man’s willingness to cooperate with investigators, despite not having permanent legal status, was a key part of the investigation.
“I encourage anyone who is a victim or a witness of a crime in Denver to report it to Denver police so we can work to hold those offenders accountable,” Thomas said Thursday. “For victims or witnesses who are undocumented, we will not ask your immigration status, and we will hold offenders accountable regardless of their immigration status.”
Denver police are not aware of “any significant criminal activity involving TdA members currently in Denver,” Thomas said.
Law enforcement agencies continue working with international and domestic partners to dismantle gangs by targeting leadership and facilitators, acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Marv Massey said.
“Together our goal is to bring to justice to the leaders of violent transnational gangs whose actions violate the laws of the United States and put innocent American lives at risk,” he said.
Additional information about the second jewelry store robbery was not immediately available Thursday.
