Members of the notorious Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), have extended their criminal activities to the Gulf states of Texas and Louisiana, as well as in the southeastern states of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
The number of Venezuelans illegally entering the U.S. under the Biden administration reached a new high as the border crisis intensified. Reports indicate that more than one million Venezuelans have entered the country, driven by escalating violence in their homeland and the efforts of law enforcement officers to make significant arrests throughout the year.
Law enforcement officers in Charlotte, North Carolina, made a significant arrest this year. They apprehended a highly dangerous TdA lieutenant and fugitive who was wanted by Interpol on terrorism charges. After a brief detention in the Gaston County Jail, he was handed over to the U.S. Marshal Service.
According to court records, the Venezuelan individual entered the U.S. illegally in Eagle Pass, Texas, in June 2022. Instead of being detained and processed for removal, Border Patrol agents released him into the U.S. However, just six days later, he was arrested in Orlando, Florida, on domestic violence charges. Subsequently, in August 2023, he filed an asylum claim in West Texas. The individual is now facing allegations of lying on his immigration form and receiving an employment authorization card, as stated in a criminal complaint filed in the Western District of Texas.
In December 2023, Venezuelan authorities issued an Interpol alert stating that he was wanted for various crimes including homicide, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and drug, arms and human trafficking. He is known as “La Fresa” and managed to escape a Venezuelan operation called “Cacique Guaicaipuro Liberation Operation,” where 11,000 soldiers, security forces, and officials attempted to dismantle TdA operatives who were in control of the Tocorón Prison, which serves as TdA’s headquarters, according to the alert.
The arrest warrant accuses him of various serious crimes including terrorism, financing terrorism, arms and ammunition trafficking, aggravated extortion, and money laundering. It further states that he is a known high-ranking member of Tren de Aragua, a group that poses a significant threat to public safety due to its ties to terrorism, gang activities, and violent criminal behavior.
According to the complaint, there has been a significant increase in the number of TdA members who have unlawfully entered the United States and Canada since early 2022. These individuals have been involved in various criminal activities, including the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation, forced labor, and other crimes. The complaint further alleges that TdA has been implicated in documented homicides, alien trafficking, and grand theft that have occurred across state lines.
In Louisiana, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office deputies made a significant breakthrough by arresting and indicting high-ranking members of the TdA involved in a multi-state sex trafficking ring. The charges brought against them include sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion, and other felonies. During their investigation, the deputies interviewed women who had managed to escape from trafficking situations, and these brave survivors revealed that they had been compelled to engage in sexual activities to repay their debts.
The investigation uncovered the distressing reality that numerous women were being held captive in stash houses across several states, including Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia. This disturbing revelation exposed the far-reaching operations of the TdA sex trafficking ring. Court records further revealed that the codefendants involved were not only responsible for smuggling illegal border crossers into the United States but also for coercing them into the horrors of sex trafficking in multiple states. The seriousness of these charges highlights the urgent need for continued efforts to combat human trafficking and bring justice to the victims.
According to The Center Square, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has officially declared TdA as a foreign terrorist organization. In response, the Texas Department of Public Safety has initiated a large-scale operation to target them. As part of their efforts, monetary rewards are being offered for any information that leads to the arrests of TdA members.
Law enforcement agencies in Dallas, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, and other regions are actively apprehending and pursuing members of TdA. These officials are working in collaboration with multiple agencies to ensure the successful arrest of these individuals. The recent apprehensions of TdA members in Dallas are also linked to an ongoing investigation into ATM thefts across several states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wyoming, as reported by The Center Square.
According to earlier statements made by Abbott, Texas law enforcement authorities have apprehended over 3,000 Venezuelan individuals who illegally crossed the border, with more than 200 of them being wanted. However, it remains uncertain how many of these individuals have been officially confirmed as members of the TdA.
Law enforcement officers in Florida are actively working to dismantle TdA, as they have been making arrests related to kidnapping, murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, grand theft, and other charges, according to a report by The Center Square. Additionally, Border Patrol agents in Miami have been successful in apprehending members of TdA.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations claims that TdA operates in every major city in the state. According to The Center Square, a recent TdA arrest in a Chattanooga sex trafficking sting was linked to TdA criminal activities in Chicago.
According to The Center Square, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has claimed that federal agents were intentionally releasing “murderers and rapists from its migrant detention facilities onto American streets.”
