The Trinitarios were established in 1993 on Rikers Island, the New York City jail,[3][4] by two Dominicans facing separate murder charges—Leonides "Junito" Sierra and Julio "Caballo" Marine.

[1] In 2011, 50 members and associates of the Bronx Trinitarios Gang (BTG) were charged with federal racketeering, narcotics and firearms offenses.

[3] It also has a presence elsewhere in the Eastern Seaboard of the United States,[1] including Rhode Island,[1][8] Georgia,[8] Massachusetts,[8] Pennsylvania,[8] Maryland, Texas,[8] Florida,[1] as well as Tennessee.

[11][12] Testimony given against Trinitarios in court indicated that "one needs a sponsor to join, and once in, new members receive a rule book, take an oath and swear to abide by the gang's constitution.

[11] Criminal activities perpetrated by Trinitarios include drug dealing,[3][11] in heroin and cocaine, as well as assaults and home invasions.

[14] During the trial, the Trinitarios were designated a criminal organization which allowed heavier sentences to be imposed upon the perpetrators and the gang's leaders.

[15] On the same day as the ruling – May 11, 2014 – a brawl occurred in Madrid involving Trinitarios and Ñetas, leading to the arrests of twenty-six gang members.

[19] A Haverhill detective wrote that the arrests were in connection with an ongoing feud (a gang war) between the Trinitarios and their rivals, the Gangster Disciples, that had resulted in multiple shootings.

[20] In April 2024, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts said 121 indictments were levied against known members and associates of the Trinitarios for numerous crimes across the state.

[22] Guzman-Feliz was a member of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) Explorers program, a group for youths interested in law enforcement careers,[23] and aspired to become a detective.

The gang members entered the bodega at Bathgate Avenue and East 183rd Street where Guzman-Feliz was seeking shelter, dragged him onto the sidewalk in front of the store, and beat him and stabbed him with machetes and large knives.