FBI Director: Over 6,000 Arrested Since Jan. 20 in Immigration Enforcement

Tren de Aragua and MS-13 members are among the thousands detained as the FBI and DHS ramp up enforcement efforts.

U.S. military personnel escort alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and the MS-13 gang recently deported by the U.S. government to be imprisoned in the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, as part of an agreement with the Salvadoran government, in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, on March 30, 2025. Secretaria de Prensa de la Presidencia/Handout via Reuters

FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday said the agency has detained and arrested over 6,000 individuals in its immigration enforcement efforts in the first months of the Trump administration.

Among those apprehended were 310 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and 136 members of MS-13, a transnational criminal organization founded by immigrants from El Salvador, according to Patel.

“FBI leadership just received an update on our immigration efforts since January 20, 2025,” Patel stated in a post on the social media platform X on April 17, expressing gratitude towards the current administration, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and regional law enforcement partners for their collaborative efforts in enhancing national security. “We have so much more to do,” he said.

The crackdown aligns with the administration’s broader strategy to combat illegal immigration and associated criminal activities. On his first day in office, Trump designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization, facilitating a coordinated governmental approach to dismantle the gang’s operations.

Tren de Aragua, originally from Venezuela, has been linked to various criminal activities, including drug trafficking and violent crimes across the United States.

Recent operations have led to multiple arrests across the country. In March, authorities arrested over 40 individuals in Texas connected to the gang. Similarly, in early April, six suspected members were apprehended in Mobile, Alabama.

The Department of Homeland Security says the gang is responsible for the high-profile murders of nursing student Laken Riley and 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.

MS-13, known for its violent activities, has also been a focal point of the administration’s enforcement actions. For instance, in early April, a high-ranking MS-13 leader wanted for multiple murders was arrested in Long Island, New York.

These enforcement actions have not been without controversy. The administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite deportations has faced legal challenges and criticism from Democratic lawmakers.

One case drawing national attention is that of Kilmar Ábrego García, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national and alleged MS-13 member, who was deported on March 15 after being arrested in Maryland. He had lived in the United States for years with his citizen wife and children and was previously granted “withholding of removal” in 2019 after an immigration judge found he faced credible threats from the rival gang Barrio 18.

A Justice Department attorney initially described his deportation as an “administrative error,” but top Trump administration officials have since said it was not an error, and that attorney has since been placed on indefinite paid leave. The Supreme Court last week ruled that the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of Ábrego García.

Attorney General Bondi, speaking at a press conference on April 16, acknowledged a missed paperwork step but said the deportation was justified and that he would not be returned to the United States.