Venezuelan gang leader wanted for violent aurora break-in arrested in new york city ice raid

NEW YORK — A suspected ringleader of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, wanted in Colorado for a notorious break-in captured on surveillance video, was arrested during a Homeland Security operation in the Bronx on Tuesday, according to law enforcement sources.

Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, 25, was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations officers during an early morning raid at an Ogden Avenue apartment building. The operation also included the participation of DEA and ICE agents, sources told The Post.

Zambrano-Pacheco was wanted in connection with several charges in Colorado, including kidnapping, burglary, and menacing. Authorities allege he was one of several armed suspects seen in surveillance footage forcing their way into an Aurora apartment last August, just outside Denver.

The gang leader’s capture comes amid continued efforts by federal authorities to crack down on transnational criminal organizations operating within the United States. Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang with a growing presence in North and South America, has been tied to drug trafficking, extortion, and human smuggling operations.

Officials have not yet confirmed if Zambrano-Pacheco will be extradited to Colorado to face the charges stemming from the Aurora incident.

The high-profile arrest underscores the coordinated effort by federal law enforcement to address threats posed by international gangs on U.S. soil.

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