Venezuelan DJ is the latest target of U.S. sanctions campaign against Tren de Aragua cartel
The sanctions against the cartel leader's supposed girlfriend come as the scrutiny grows over the Trump administration's strikes on alleged drug boats.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is slapping new sanctions on a DJ and entertainer believed to be the girlfriend of the leader of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan-based criminal organization designated by the U.S. government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The move comes amid mounting scrutiny of the Trump administration over its military strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats north of Venezuela.
Chief among those now cut off from the American financial system by the recent sanctions is Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, a Venezuelan entertainer known professionally as “Rosita.” She is accused of providing material support to Tren de Aragua’s leadership and organizing drug-fueled raves to support the cartel, according to Treasury officials. She also allegedly helped Niño Guerrero, her supposed boyfriend and the leader of the organization, escape from prison in Venezuela.
Beyond her alleged involvement in one of Latin America’s most feared criminal organizations, Rosita has amassed millions of followers on social media as an influencer and often performs at nightclubs in Colombia, according to new information released by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
In recent months, the Trump administration has turned up the heat on both the Venezuelan government and drug cartels operating in the country, seeking to connect the two. In November, the White House designated Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as leader of the narcoterrorist group Cartel de los Soles.
This comes in addition to aggressive American military action in the Caribbean, which has included at least 21 strikes on alleged drug boats in the region and in the Pacific, according to The Hill. At least 83 people have died as a result.
Beyond Rosita, the U.S. government also sanctioned Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernandez, identified as a financial and logistics coordinator for Tren de Aragua in Bogotá prior to his arrest by Colombian authorities in 2024. American officials said Landaeta organized events and nightlife operations that were used to sell drugs, with proceeds laundered back to Tren de Aragua leaders.
In addition to the entertainment-linked network, OFAC sanctioned several alleged senior figures within the organization. They include a man known as “El Flipper,” whom Treasury identified as a top lieutenant to Niño Guerrero and a key financial operator before his arrest in Colombia late last month. Authorities also sanctioned a Colombian company, Yakera y Lane SAS, which they say was controlled by Sevilla Arteaga and used in illegal drug operations.