U.S. charges 22 Trinitarios gang members for violent crimes in Massachusetts

Washington.- U.S. federal officials announced the indictment of 22 leaders, members, and collaborators of the Dominican-born Trinitarios gang for their involvement in six homicides and eleven attempted murders in Massachusetts. The investigation, initiated in 2023 following a surge in violent crimes in Lynn, uncovered gang activity in Boston and Haverhill. According to court documents, the Trinitarios employed extreme violence to assert territorial dominance, often linked to drug trafficking, gang retaliation, and personal disputes.

Authorities revealed that the gang has been responsible for at least ten homicides in Essex County over the past decade, with 16 of the charged individuals facing federal counts for six murders. Enmanuel Paula-Cabral, known as “Nelfew,” was identified as the gang’s top leader in Massachusetts, maintaining direct ties with Trinitarios leadership in the Dominican Republic. Additionally, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office charged two individuals—minors at the time of their crimes—with murder.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley emphasized the gang’s long-standing impact on communities, particularly in Lynn and Lawrence, where their violent actions instilled fear. She stated that the latest law enforcement operation had significantly weakened the gang’s leadership in Massachusetts, effectively dismantling an organization linked to years of bloodshed, drug trafficking, and criminal activities.