Tren de Aragua gang member arrested in Florida; first to be detained under Alien Enemies Act
1st undocumented immigrant detained under Alien Enemies
On Thursday, FDLE announced that its agents – in partnership with Homeland Security – had arrested a known Tren De Aragua gang member, identified as Jimenez-Bracho. Acting Director Lyons described Tren De Aragua (TDA) as a "dangerous foreign terrorist organization that has invaded our soil." It comes nearly a week after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd M. Lyons was in Florida on Friday to discuss the recent arrest of an alleged gang member with ties to the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, billed as the first arrest in the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
On Thursday, FDLE announced that its agents – in partnership with Homeland Security – had arrested a known Tren De Aragua gang member, identified as Jimenez-Bracho. It comes nearly a week after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act.
FHP, ICE discuss arrest of alleged gang member in Florida
Officials from the Florida Highway Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are discussing the arrest of Franklin Jose Jimenez-Bracho, a citizen of Venezuela and alleged gang member of Tren de Aragua. Formed in a Venezuelan prison, the gang has branched out to become a multinational crime organization. Bracho's arrest is the first arrest in the nation under the Alien Enemies Act.
Acting ICE Director: Tren De Aragua is a ‘dangerous foreign terrorist organization’
Acting Director Lyons described Tren De Aragua (TDA) as a "dangerous foreign terrorist organization that has invaded our soil."
"TDA has infiltrated the U.S. via our northern border, southern border, and our waterways. Some TDA terrorists' rap sheets and criminal history are extremely extensive. Many of these members are cold-blooded killers, rapists, thieves, drug traffickers, weapons traffickers, and human traffickers. They're accused of the most heinous crimes," he said during a Friday afternoon press conference.
"We cannot and will not accept their brutality," he said.
By the numbers:
According to Acting Director Todd Lyons:
- 68 alleged members of TDA have been arrested in the United States in the last 24 hours.
- To date, 394 alleged TDA members have been arrested.
"Our goal is to eradicate TSA from U.S. soil," he said.
What is the Alien Enemies Act?
President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act on March 15, 2025, in an effort to target the Tren de Aragua gang.
According to the Associated Press, the Alien Enemies Act was passed in 1798 – part of a series of laws passed as the U.S. prepared for a potential war with France. It gave the president power to imprison and deport noncitizens. Regarding immigration issues, some say it allows the federal government to deport noncitizens without needing to meet with an immigration or deportation judge, the AP said.
It has been used three times in modern history, per the AP:
- War of 1812
- World War I
- World War II
Brenen Center for Justice: ‘This power grab is flagrantly illegal’
The other side:
After President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, the Brennen Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, criticized the move, claiming it to be an illegal power move.
"Tren de Aragua is a dangerous Venezuelan criminal gang, but immigration law already gives the president ample authority to deport Tren de Aragua members who inflict harm on our communities. The president can and should vigorously use that power. There’s no need to abuse a wartime authority when immigration and criminal law provide such powerful tools," said Katherine Yon Ebright, counsel in the Liberty and National Security Program, in a news release.
"The president is invoking the Alien Enemies Act to try to dispense with due process. He wants to bypass any need to provide evidence or to convince a judge that someone is actually a gang member before deporting them. The only reason to invoke such a power is to try to enable sweeping detentions and deportations of Venezuelans based on their ancestry, not on any gang activity that could be proved in immigration proceedings."
"This power grab is flagrantly illegal. The Alien Enemies Act may be used only during declared wars or armed attacks on the United States by foreign governments. The president has falsely proclaimed an invasion and predatory incursion to use a law written for wartime for peacetime immigration enforcement. The courts should shut this down.
FDLE: First arrest of Tren de Aragua gang member using Alien Enemies Act happened in Florida
Law enforcement in Florida have arrested Franklin Jose Jimenez-Bracho, a known Tren de Aragua gang member. He is the first person in the nation to be taken into custody under the Alien Enemies Act, officials said. (Credit: Florida Department of Law E
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday afternoon that FDLE and Florida Highway Patrol, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, has arrested a "known Tren de Aragua gang member – the first arrest conducted uin the nation under the Alien Enemies Act."
"Once again, Florida leads the way," Gov. DeSantis said in his X post.
FDLE identified the alleged gang member as Franklin Jose Jimenez-Bracho. He was wanted for human trafficking and smuggling, as well as another ongoing investigation, FDLE said. He was arrested Thursday during a multi-agency investigation, FDLE said.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Florida Highway Patrol, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 21, 2025.