Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua Expands Presence to 16 US States
The Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) has reportedly expanded its influence across at least 16 US states, now affecting roughly half of the country’s population, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security memo cited by the New York Post.
The memo highlighted that the gang has established roots in states including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and has recently spread to Washington DC, Virginia, Montana, and Wyoming.
This expansion coincides with a rising number of Venezuelan migrants entering the United States. The memo warned that “As the population of Venezuelan nationals continues to increase, the potential for violent TdA migrants is highly probable.” It also stated that the gang’s network expanding will likely contribute to an increase in its “violent tendencies.”
Members of TdA have seemingly been more involved in “lower-level fraud and theft schemes” recently. The members are engaging in these crimes and then funneling stolen funds “back to South America as a means of financing additional criminal enterprises.”
A Wyoming sheriff confirmed to the New York Post that a suspected TdA member is currently in custody in the state. While Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak “would not say they have established a presence” in Wyoming, he revealed that a person in jail is suspected of being part of TdA and was arrested for being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
“This is the only arrest of a possible TdA member in Wyoming, and he was just passing through when he was arrested. We have not seen an increase in Venezuelan immigrants in Wyoming, especially the criminal gang type,” he claimed.
Still, TdA has been linked to serious crimes, including violence against law enforcement, gun smuggling, and sex trafficking, particularly in large urban areas like New York City.
