A new report published by the Heritage Foundation offers the first English-language overview of Venezuela’s massive Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. which brutal acts in the United States became national news headlines
Verdict? According to report author Joseph Humire, the threat America faces from Tren de Aragua is much worse than most people think.
A report titled “Destroying the Train de Aragua” was given to the US leader. There is a starting point for understanding violent crime organizations that indicate that “Trained and perfected within the walls of a Venezuelan prison. It is then exported throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
Humir told Fox News Digital that he hopes the report gives the incoming Trump administration a head start on responding to and dismantling TdA before it can grow further. increasingly rooted within the borders of the United States
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Immigrants enter the United States in Lukeville, Arizona. (Fox News)
“TdA is unique among organized crime. because of the ideology involved,” Humir said in the report. “TdA now exists in America. To solve this problem An accurate understanding of TdA is therefore essential to detecting the overall motivations, tactics and strategies of criminal organizations.”
What is Tren de Aragua?
Humire, who is director of the Center for a Safe and Free Society and a fellow of the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that the first thing to understand about Tren de Aragua is that it’s more than just a gang. Rather, it is an attempt by international terrorists, supported by America’s worst enemies, to sow chaos and destabilize the United States.
Born from a Venezuelan prison more than 10 years ago, Trane de Aragua, which means “train from Aragua,” came to national consciousness in 2023 after members of the group reportedly took an entire apartment building hostage in the city of Aragua. Rosa, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.
since then Reports of violent crimes by Tren de Aragua members spread quickly. They include the high-profile murders of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia and 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston.
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José Antonio Ibarra, illegal immigrant from Venezuela was recently convicted of the murder of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia.
The American media and politicians dismiss Tren de Aragua as a group of simple thugs and criminals. However, Humire’s report emphasizes that Tren de Aragua is a state-sponsored transnational criminal organization. which supports and is embedded in the socialist government of Venezuela
Instead it works to detect and deter crime and terror. Humir said that the Venezuelan government’s focus facilitates TdA’s operations not only in Venezuela. But throughout the Western Hemisphere
With the support of the Venezuelan government, he said, the TdA has a deliberate “ideology of invasion” that aims to achieve territorial control of neighborhoods and regions within a matter of weeks. Instead, it is a years-long process that most transnational criminal gangs and organizations operate.
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President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela (AP Photo/Mathias Delacroix/File)
Why has Tren de Aragua spread across the United States?
While many comparisons have been made between Tren de Aragua and El Salvador’s La Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) gang, TdA is expanding much faster, which Humire said is likely due to its unique origins and support. From the state in Venezuela
He also accused TdA’s rapid expansion in the United States of being “A direct result of the Biden-Harris administration’s failed immigration policies and lack of border enforcement.”
Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parole programs And Venezuela’s previous parole program has created, in many cases, Venezuelan immigrants being waved into the country in large numbers with little or no verification. Because of these policies The Venezuelan population in the United States thus increased by nearly 1 million, or 520.8%, becoming the fastest growing nationality in the United States since 2021.
As a result, although TdA is new to the United States, it now has a presence in more than 30 major U.S. cities, and federal investigations into at least 100 related to the group are underway. As the report states “Caught most of US law,” the enforcement community took the enforcement community by surprise.
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Governor of Texas On Monday, Greg Abbott announced that the state would target a Venezuelan gang that he said had a reputation for violence and brutal murder. and is a threat to the safety of Texans. (X/@GregAbbott_TX)
How to ‘derail’ a train
During the first 100 days of the new administration Humeer said Trump should follow the example of Texas’ efforts to root out organized crime by living up to his pledge to launch the “Operation Aurora” to take a “whole-of-government approach” that uses federal resources within the Border Patrol Immigration and enforce customs laws and the military to complement state-led law enforcement efforts. as well as working with our Latin American allies to attack TdA from all angles.
“It is believed that the main TdA leaders have not yet arrived in America. This means that time is of the essence to implement preventative measures,” the report said.
Humeer said Trump’s Department of Homeland Security should immediately label TdA a transnational terrorist group. and marked Venezuelan immigrants as “Aliens of special interest” This designation would be in stark contrast to the Biden administration’s policy of wavering away Venezuelan migrants. and allow US immigration officials Instead, it could more appropriately monitor Venezuelan immigrants.
While this may sound counterintuitive, Humire says it is something that will not only help better protect American citizens in the interior. But it also gives legitimacy to asylum seekers fleeing Venezuela.
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Venezuelan immigrant Luis Sanchez asks the Texas National Guard to let his family pass through barbed wire. After they crossed the Rio Grande River from Mexico on September 9, September 27, 2023 in Eagle Pass. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“This is really intended to protect Venezuelan migrants. Because you come from one of those countries,” he said. “Most Venezuelan immigrants would agree with this. Because they didn’t want the Tren de Aragua to infiltrate. And every Venezuelan immigrant knows how cruel and dangerous the Tren de Aragua is.”
What will Trump do?
Humeer said there are already positive signs from Trump’s transition that the president-elect is serious about his pledge to dismantle TdA.
“I think the appointment of a tsar on the border was early. of the transition process It was a clear sign that it was one of the top leaders. If it is not a top priority for the new Trump administration,” he said, “and Tom Homan, the designated border czar. Fully aware of the Tren de Aragua gang and all transnational criminal organizations that are undermining American sovereignty.”
Donald Trump (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP/File)
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He also said key Trump cabinet appointments such as Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Representative Michael Waltz for national security adviser are evidence of the administration’s approach. all Management personnel are well aware that TdA “could be a big problem. Unless we fix it immediately.”
“This is something the Biden administration can do. They have all the tools needed to do so. But they missed an important element. That is the political will,” he said. “So the political will in the new administration to deal with this issue is very high. From the president to his appointees and throughout.”
