Tren de Aragua member arrested in Denver after criminal convictions in U.S.

U.S. Customs and Immigration (ICE) Denver announced Friday afternoon that it has captured a member of an ultra-violent Venezuelan gang who had a final deportation order. 

“ICE Denver officers arrested Joel Matos-Nieto, 23, a criminal alien from Venezuela and member of the international gang Tren de Aragua with a final order of removal April 23,” according to the federal immigration authorities. “Matos has convictions for motor vehicle theft, obstructing a police officer and criminal mischief.”

TRUMP ADMIN FILES FIRST RACKETEERING CHARGES AGAINST MASSIVE MIGRANT TERRORIST GROUP PRESENT IN US

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital earlier Friday that President Donald Trump’s crackdown on gang crime, which included labeling Tren de Aragua (TdA) as a terrorist organization, has resulted in the arrests of more than 600 TdA members during his first 100 days in office. 

Fox News Digital reached out to ICE Denver for further information on Matos-Nieto’s criminal history. 

14 DETAINED IN ARMED AURORA, COLORADO HOME INVASION ARE LIKELY ILLEGAL GANG MEMBERS: POLICE

The arrest comes on the heels of Thursday’s news that a former New Mexico judge and his wife were arrested for alleged evidence tampering and harboring a suspected TdA gang member in their Las Cruses home. 

Ex-judge Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, are accused of inviting Cristhian Ortega-Lopez to live in their home. Ortega-Lopez reportedly crossed into the United States illegally in December 2023, but was released from custody pending a removal hearing due to overcrowding. 

He first met the Canos when he did repairs on their home. 

Ortega-Lopez was arrested by federal authorities in February, and Joel Cano resigned from his post shortly thereafter in March.