Homeland Security Alert

Venezuelan Gangs Now Infiltrating US:  Target- The Police

Critics of the nation’s open border policy have long been warning, that the failure to control the southern border could lead to a disastrous Homeland Security outcome. It would seem that they have scored a major point in the debate, as Venezuela collapses into civil arrest over a disputed election between the dictatorial Madura regime and reformist parties.   An extremely violent Venezuelan criminal gang has seized the opportunity to begin infiltrating the US.

“Tren de Aragua” TDA (Train from Aragua), a gang of 5K reputed members has now taken active steps to begin exploiting the security lapse at the US southern border.  Newsweek estimates that 545K Venezuelan’s have fled to the US. TDA members are among those numbers.

The gang traces its origins to the notorious Tocoron prison in Venezuela. Prison officials ceded control of the prison to the criminal gang a year ago.  Hector “El Nino: Guererro Flores rose to become to the  leader of the gang, and began directing criminal operations from the prison. He recently escaped. The US has posted a 5M reward for his capture.  The gang has infiltrated Colombia, Mexico and Chile.

What makes this gang different, from others, operating in the power vacuum along the Rio Grande, is that this gang has officially targeted police officers for attack and assassination. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has advised that gang leadership has given the “green light” to its members in Denver to shoot and attack police officers. It is also reported that they are joining forces with gangs in New York and Miami. The alliances are deemed responsible for a crime wave that is now extending from Dallas to New York City.   TDA members were involved in a gang assault in which two NYPD officers were beaten in Times Square in February and a member was recently arrested and charged for the shooting of an NYPD officer in June.

TDA has recently been designated by the US government as an International Criminal Organization.  The gang is reputed to be as dangerous as MS13. It derives its financing from large scale human trafficking and forced prostitution.  One prostitution ring controlled as many as 60 women deriving close to 5M in revenue within six months of operation.  The gang also engages in organized kidnapping to raise revenue. Members can be identified by distinctive tattoos of AR-15s, clocks, crowns and a skull wearing a gas mask.(see attachment).  DHS notes that many members wait to enter the US before getting their tattoos, so they can pass through border checkpoints unmolested.  In a display of blatant contempt for US security, the gang has recently announced it has moved its headquarters to Ciudad Juarez Mexico, directly across the border from El Paso Texas, a major entry point into the USA.

Sources:

• Tren de Aragua  Maryanne Martinez. The Daily Mail,  5 August 2024
• Tren de Aragua, Daniel Trotta, Jose Del Pina  Newsweek    11 July 2024
•  Migrants Busted In PO Assault,   New York Post   15 February 2024
•  Two PO’s shot by Tren de Aragua, New York Post   15 June 2024