LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued a chilling memo: the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) has infiltrated 16 U.S. states. This powerful gang, known for ruthless tactics and a network spanning across the country, has moved into areas like California, New York, Florida, Texas, and more recently, even Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
Michigan has not made the list yet, but neighboring Illinois and Wisconsin have. In addition, increased high-end home invasions in Oakland County where police say transnational gangs are to blame, could put Michigan on the list soon.
Criminal network exploits growing vulnerabilities.
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As migration patterns shift, TdA has been able to find new footholds across the U.S. They capitalize on areas with increased Venezuelan migration, setting up in cities and suburbs where they blend into migrant communities. TdA is known for engaging in a variety of crimes – from lower-level fraud and theft to drug trafficking and human trafficking operations that feed South American cartels. For example, in New York, the gang has been linked to shooting police officers, assaults, robberies, and sex trafficking of migrant women.
A source told the New York Post, “They’re taking over hotels, they’re taking over apartment complexes. That’s their MO. They’re coming and they’re taking over.”
The accused murderer of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, 26-year-old José Antonio Ibarra, who was just found guilty of murder on Wednesday, is a Venezuelan national in the country illegally and has been recently linked to the notorious TdA gang – a connection confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security.
How they operate: organize, ruthless and expanding.
This isn’t your average street gang; Tren de Aragua members are well-coordinated and highly organized. Originally started in Venezuela’s prisons, they are now operating across state lines in the United States. They use fraudulent schemes to send illicit gains back to South America. In a recent incident, a suspected member withdrew $118,000 from a Florida bank account using fraudulent checks, wiring the money to Venezuela before authorities detected the fraud. Meanwhile, law enforcement in Wyoming recently detained a TdA member on car theft charges, showcasing the gang’s reach even in areas where their activity was once unheard of.
What it means for Michigan.
While Michigan is not yet on the official DHS list for the TdA infiltration, it may only be a matter of time. States adjacent to Michigan have already reported TdA gang activity, and the gang’s rapid spread indicates they are not selective about where they move next.
Although not linked to the TdA, Oakland County is currently experiencing a crime wave involving home invasions, which law enforcement suspects is being carried out by South American gangs. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has identified the suspects as individuals coming from Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, and other parts of South and Central America.
Authorities warn that as the TdA grows more comfortable operating within U.S. borders, their willingness to infiltrate new states – especially those with limited gang-prevention resources – will increase.
Members of the TdA gang reportedly infiltrated the massive waves of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border during the Biden-Harris administration. Without information-sharing between the U.S. and Venezuela to identify these gang members, the criminals were easily released into the country, according to U.S. Border Patrol sources.
President-elect Donald Trump has announced that targeting the TdA gang will be a top priority for his administration, vowing to launch a historic “mass deportation” campaign using both ICE and the U.S. military.
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