On December 5, 2025, the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) froze the assets and funds of six individuals allegedly linked to the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. has designated as an international terrorist organization. Among those sanctioned is a figure well-known across Latin America: Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, better known as “Rosita.” With 3.5 million Instagram followers, Rosita is not only a DJ and actress but now stands accused of providing material support to one of the region’s most notorious criminal enterprises.
According to BBC Mundo, the U.S. alleges that Rosita funneled part of her income from performances directly to Tren de Aragua bosses. The sanctions, which freeze her assets and prohibit any transactions with U.S. citizens or entities, are mirrored by similar actions from Mexican authorities against Rosita, five other individuals, and four companies based in Venezuela and Colombia. These coordinated moves signal an intensifying effort by North American governments to disrupt the financial networks underpinning the gang’s operations.
Rosita’s story is as much about the blurred lines between celebrity and infamy as it is about crime and punishment. Born in 1983 in Maracay, Aragua state, Venezuela—just 119 kilometers west of Caracas—she made her name in the entertainment world. As reported by BBC Mundo, she acted in various soap operas and comedic television programs on Venevision, where she played the character “Rosita,” a role that would give her the nickname she carries to this day. Her performances were so popular that she toured the country, even appearing in prisons such as Tocorón, which was under the control of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Rosita’s alleged involvement with Tren de Aragua goes beyond mere performance. As detailed by MixVale, she is accused of laundering money for the cartel through her entertainment activities. The U.S. Treasury’s investigation found that Rosita is part of a network of five entertainment-linked individuals who allegedly helped launder millions in illicit profits via nightclubs and events. The focus of these investigations is her connection to Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Niño Guerrero,” the elusive leader of Tren de Aragua. Guerrero, who escaped from Tocorón prison in 2012—reportedly with Rosita’s help—and again in 2023, is believed to be orchestrating transnational criminal operations from Colombia.
The story takes a darker turn with the events of August 2012. According to BBC Mundo, Guerrero’s escape from Tocorón prison was aided by both internal and external collaborators, with Rosita among those suspected. On the day of Guerrero’s escape, Rosita was reportedly in the prison organizing a party. She was arrested weeks later on a court warrant and spent time in jail, accused of aiding the escape, but was released on bail. Zaire Mundarej, a former director at the Venezuelan Prosecutor’s Office, explained to BBC Mundo, “She was released on bail, because tax evasion does not carry a harsh prison sentence, and then a party close to the government (Podemos) pushed her as a candidate for parliament.” The investigation ultimately fizzled, and Rosita returned to public life.
Tragedy and violence have dogged Rosita’s personal life. Her boyfriend, Luidi Ochoa, was murdered in August 2014. Subsequent partners, including Carlos Rafael Galindez (“Carlos Breaker”)—another alleged gang leader—and Teofilo Carzorla Rodriguez (“El Conejo”), also met violent ends. As reported by both BBC Mundo and MixVale, these relationships occurred in the context of parties and nightclub events, further intertwining Rosita’s entertainment career with the criminal underworld.
Rosita’s activities expanded beyond Venezuela as the Tren de Aragua gang itself grew into a transnational threat. She moved to Peru, leveraging her Peruvian roots, but did not stay long. In late 2019, a Peruvian court issued an arrest warrant for her, citing ties to Edison Agustin Barrera (“Katire”), a former gang leader arrested in Lima while preparing to rob a bank. According to BBC Mundo, she has also participated in audiovisual projects such as the Instagram series “QLQ this High School.”
The sanctions placed on Rosita and her associates are not just symbolic. As MixVale reports, the U.S. measures block her access to the U.S. financial system, prohibit travel and transactions with U.S. citizens, and include related companies such as Eryk Producciones SAS in Colombia. This company, managed by Rosita’s former bodyguard Eryk Manuel Landaeta Hernández—arrested in October 2024—was found to have laundered funds for Guerrero. Prosecutors allege that 20% of the revenue from Rosita’s shows was diverted to the cartel, with nightclubs like Maiquetia VIP Bar in Caracas serving as drug distribution points. Colombian authorities confirmed that this scheme generated hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, with profits funneled to other sanctioned operators such as Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano.
The U.S. Pentagon has been monitoring these routes as part of Operation Lancha of the South, launched in September 2025, in response to Tren de Aragua’s expansion into at least 16 countries and its involvement in U.S. drug trafficking routes across more than 10 states. Intelligence estimates cited by MixVale suggest the group now has about 10,000 active members, responsible for extortion, homicides, and exploiting irregular migration—often with the assistance of corrupt Venezuelan officials.
The political backdrop is equally charged. According to MixVale, the sanctions come amid heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. has raised the reward for Maduro to $50 million, deployed warships and nuclear submarines in the Caribbean, and announced airspace closures. Trump has stated that ground operations targeting drug trafficking will begin soon, while Maduro has responded by training civilian militias and appealing to the United Nations for mediation. Maduro denies any link to drug trafficking, citing a 2025 UN report that claims only 5% of Colombian drugs transit through Venezuela.
Within Venezuela, the repercussions have been swift. Rosita has paused public appearances and canceled shows in Colombia since the sanctions. Mexican authorities have opened a parallel investigation, and in Caracas, nightclub inspections have increased. The episode has ignited debate about the role of celebrities in facilitating criminal enterprises, with some analysts—quoted by MixVale—arguing that the sanctions on Rosita signal a new phase in the U.S. strategy: targeting the cultural sector to isolate the Maduro regime further.
Rosita, who is reportedly living in a middle-class neighborhood in Caracas with her son, has not commented publicly on the recent sanctions. Her mother, Teresa Navarro, continues to deny any criminal involvement, calling the accusations a “smear campaign.” Yet, the evidence amassed by U.S. and Colombian authorities paints a picture of a celebrity caught in the crosshairs of a far-reaching war on organized crime.
As the U.S. and its allies ramp up efforts to disrupt the financial and logistical networks of Tren de Aragua, the case of Rosita stands as a potent symbol of how deeply criminal organizations can infiltrate legitimate sectors—and how the worlds of entertainment and crime can collide in unexpected and troubling ways.
