A Venezuelan criminal organization, the Tren de Aragua, has alarmingly entrenched itself in numerous U.S. cities, heightening concerns about escalating violence and crime.
The Tren de Aragua gang has infiltrated U.S. soil by merging with Venezuelan migrants, escalating its violent operations across cities including El Paso, San Antonio, New York, and Chicago, as the Daily Mail reports, a scenario about which Donald Trump has warned.
Among the notable features of this gang is its corporate-like structure and a reputation that surpasses that of MS-13 in terms of danger and organization. Tren de Aragua members have been discovered entering the United States among over one million Venezuelan migrants. The gang has been linked to a range of criminal activities including murder, assaults on law enforcement officers, drug trafficking, and sex trafficking.
El Paso, Texas, has emerged as the central hub for this gang's activities, according to Steve McCraw, Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, who described the city as "ground zero." The nearby Mexican city of Juarez serves as a base for the gang's operations. Since March 2023, U.S. Border Patrol has detained 64 confirmed gang members, though arrests continue as authorities strive to manage the situation.
In March, El Paso witnessed an unusual riot arranged by the Tren de Aragua, involving migrants in a clash with Texas National Guard personnel. The repercussions have been significant, with the Gateway Hotel in El Paso at the center of a property takeover, leading to over 700 police calls in two years and a lawsuit attributing the gang's presence to heightened criminal activity. A harrowing incident involved Estefania Primera, who coerced a migrant woman into sex work by means of drugging.
In Aurora, Colorado, law enforcement agencies have uncovered that the gang has commandeered multiple apartment properties, resulting in a surge of violence such as armed conflicts, beatings, and prostitution involving minors. In response, a dedicated task force has been assembled to curb the influence of Tren de Aragua in the area.
San Antonio, Texas, has not been spared, with the gang utilizing the Palatia Apartments for trafficking and drug operations. A recent law enforcement raid in October in San Antonio led to the arrest of 19 individuals, of which four were confirmed gang affiliates.
New York City is yet another locale plagued by this tumult, where two gang members were part of a violent conflict with police in Times Square in January 2024. As NYPD Assistant Chief Jason Savino articulated, the city faces an "unprecedented storm" of brazen criminal elements. Chief Joseph Kenny of the NYPD questioned the underestimation of the gang's numbers, suggesting there are likely more than 24 members in the city.
In Stamford, Connecticut, a motel homicide was linked to Tren de Aragua members. Meanwhile, a chilling incident in Georgia this past February saw the murder of a nursing student, attributed to a suspect with gang affiliations. These violent patterns continued in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where a gang member was detained for assaulting a woman in September 2024.
Chicago has also seen an upsurge in gang activity, with Tren de Aragua members reportedly extorting migrants while ironically adopting local symbols such as Chicago Bulls merchandise.
In Miami, Florida, two members of the gang were indicted for the November 2023 murder of a former Venezuelan police officer. The violence associated with this gang seems unending as evidenced by a home invasion in Dallas, Texas, in which gang members participated as recently as September 2024. Houston police have arrested a Tren de Aragua associate amid an investigation into the tragic killing of a 12-year-old girl, potentially linked to the gang.
Federal and local authorities are grappling with the threat posed by this criminal outfit. In efforts to solicit public cooperation, the state of Texas has put forth a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Tren de Aragua gang members. Congressman Tony Gonzales stressed the importance of proactive measures in combating the gang's influence, remarking, "You have to actively make them go away."
With a mobile society as described by Prairie du Chien Police Chief, Kyle Teynor, communities must remain vigilant and take necessary precautions against unfamiliar threats. These developments emphasize the urgency for coordinated law enforcement efforts to counter the spread of the Tren de Aragua’s criminal network across the nation.
