Actress Linked to Tren de Aragua Leader Sanctioned by Trump Administration

An actress and model who moonlights as a DJ and has a romantic relationship with the leader of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan transnational gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) was sanctioned Wednesday by the Trump administration.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced the designation of Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, also known as Rosita. Navarro, a Venezuelan model with millions of followers on social media, helped launder money for TdA as well as other artists, the department said.

She also helped Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” escape from Venezuela’s Tocorón prison in 2012, the agency said.

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Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, also known as Rosita and who works as an actress and DJ, was sanctioned by the Trump administration for allegedly providing material support to the Tren de Aragua (TdA). (Treasury Department)

“Under President Trump, barbaric terrorist cartels can no longer operate with impunity beyond our borders. The Tren de Aragua network’s drug and human trafficking operations have long posed a serious threat to our nation,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Under the leadership of President Trump, we will continue to use every tool to isolate these terrorists from the U.S. and global financial system and keep American citizens safe.”

Navarro would perform at nightclubs in Colombia, with part of the profits from the events going to TdA management, Treasury said.

She also performed at the Maiquetia VIP Bar Restaurant nightclub in Bogotá, which is owned by her former bodyguard and manager, Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernandez. She is also a shareholder and president of a Venezuela-based company, Global Import Solutions SA.

Hernández was arrested by Colombian authorities in October 2024. He allegedly organized events featuring international artists and DJs, including Navarro, during which drugs were sold for TdA and the proceeds were laundered, authorities said.

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Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernandez, of the Maiquetia VIP Bar Restaurant nightclub in Bogotá where Jimena Romina Araya Navarro performed, the Treasury Department said. (Treasury Department)

Hernández also allegedly laundered money for Guerrero and sanctioned top TdA leader Mosquera Serrano.

He owns the creative, artistic and entertainment services company Eryk Producciones SAS and is believed to have been the gang’s financial and logistical leader in Colombia.

Additional sanctions were imposed against TdA leaders Richard José Espinal Quintero, Noe Manases Aponte Cordova, and Asdrubal Rafael Escobar Cabrera, as well as Cheison Royer Guerrero Palma, the half-brother of Niño Guerrero, who was expanding the gang’s activities in Chile.

Kenffersso Jhosue Sevilla Arteaga, known as “El Flipper”, was also sanctioned. He was arrested in Cúcuta, Colombia, in November 2025 and “was involved in extortion, kidnapping and homicide,” the Treasury Department said.

The Trump administration has targeted TdA members in the United States with the aim of deporting them to Venezuela.

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An April intelligence assessment by the National Intelligence Council found that some Venezuelan officials facilitated the migration of TdA members to the United States.

In February, the gang was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department.