Authorities say a Houston bar shooting that injured six people in March is connected to a violent Venezuelan gang known as Anti-Tren, now the target of a sweeping federal operation.
In March 2025, a mass shooting occurred at Latinas Sports Bar in Houston. Jose Miguel Briceno, 25, was identified as the alleged shooter and charged with aggravated assault in connection with the attack.
Court records revealed that Briceno is an illegal alien from Venezuela. At the time of the incident, the City of Houston reported that four people were in critical condition: three men, ages 25, 21, and 43, and a woman, age 53. Two others—a 28-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman—sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
On Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced new federal charges against Briceno, including unlawful possession of ammunition by an alien. Authorities also revealed that Briceno discarded the firearm allegedly used in the March shooting, which has yet to be recovered.
During the same announcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office released new details about a Venezuelan criminal organization known as Anti-Tren. According to the release, “Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA).”
The group allegedly aims to preserve and protect its power and territory through attempted murder, violence, and threats—often targeting former TdA members. The indictment further states that Anti-Tren enriches its members through firearms and drug trafficking.
Several alleged Anti-Tren members are now facing federal charges for conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
Those accused include Luis Miguel Claros Sarmiento, 26; Dany E. Rojas, 28; Ismael Leon Belbin, 24; Andy Luis Alvarez Herrera, 28; Cesar Oskeiber Cabezas Pacheco, 26; and Cesar Mauricio Velasquez, 27. Also named are Venezuelan nationals Raul Armando Ramirez Correa, 24; Darwin Martinez, 37; Peter Davila, 34; Otis Jose Rodriguez Garcia, 31; Pedro Hernandez Delgado, 19; Jesus F. Fernandez Troconiz, 26; Embeer J. Gutierrez Ternawskyj, 24; and Raul Antonio Claros Sarmiento, 30, a Honduran national.
According to the charges, two separate groups allegedly agreed to transport large quantities of cocaine for $15,000. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine. In addition to the drug charges, Correa, Ternawskyj, Garcia, Delgado, and Pedro Jose Ramirez Delgado, 26, are separately charged with weapons offenses related to the possession and sale of firearms. These charges carry potential sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
Douglass Williams, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Houston Field Office, stated:
These arrests are the largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI, so far, and they happened right here in Houston. These individuals are accused of engaging in a turf war with TdA members and carrying out numerous violent crimes throughout our city, including a mass shooting at a local sports bar that left six people wounded. Fortunately, for the good and safety of our community, these individuals are now in federal custody facing U.S. justice.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in coordination with the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). Originally formed to dismantle MS-13, JTFV has since expanded its mission to target groups like Tren de Aragua and Anti-Tren.
This prosecution is also part of Operation Take Back America, a law enforcement initiative launched during President Trump’s administration.
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