Agents of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) collaborated in the operation to arrest Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, a prominent drug lord of the Tren de Aragua Cartel. The action aimed to apprehend Zambrano-Pacheco for multiple serious crimes, such as robbery, kidnapping, extortion, possession of firearms, and threats with a weapon, among other charges.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams referred to the cooperation between local and federal authorities in this immigration operation that took place in the early morning. The NYPD participated in the action due to the gravity of the suspect's background, while it was not involved in other raids carried out that same day.
According to a spokesman for the NYPD, the department does not participate in civil immigration law enforcement, focusing instead on collaborating with federal agencies in criminal investigations, as in this case. The arrest of Zambrano-Pacheco is part of a series of actions targeting members of the Tren de Aragua Cartel, one of the largest criminal organizations in South America with influence in several countries.
The Tren de Aragua Cartel, which emerged from the Tocorón prison in Venezuela in 2014, has expanded its power throughout the region, showing similarities to Central American gangs. The detention of Zambrano-Pacheco represents a blow to this criminal organization that operates in multiple countries in South and Central America.
