The Tren de Aragua, a notorious gang originating in Venezuelan prisons, has found itself on the U.S.’ list of foreign terrorist organizations and is broadening its influence across the nation. This criminal syndicate is implicated in a spectrum of illicit activities, which span from human trafficking and drug peddling to blackmail. The Trump administration has deported numerous alleged associates, though the validity of using tattoos as a distinguishing factor remains contentious. While proof of the gang’s activities in several states has been solidified, disputes concerning its actual overall prevalence and ramifications within the U.S. persist.
Born as a prison gang in the early 2000s in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua has evolved into a formidable transnational criminal entity, now singled out by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. With operations extending into Latin American territories, the syndicate has also made its mark on the U.S., as reported by officials from the Department of Justice. In a recent incident, Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, or ‘Chuqui,’ was charged in Texas on accounts of conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization and collaborating in a cocaine distribution scheme rooted in Colombia intended for U.S. distribution. Flores is presumed to hold a high-ranking title within this crime network.
The precise inception of the Tren de Aragua, often abbreviated as TdA, remains shrouded in mystery. Numerous media entities have, however, traced its foundations to Tocorón Prison in Venezuela where gang-affiliated inmates allegedly controlled the prison and utilized it as a command center before the Venezuelan government intervened. Other interpretations have tied the genesis of the organization to a massive embezzlement scandal in the Aragua region of Venezuela that unfolded in 2005.
The exact membership count of this criminal syndicate remains an enigma, but several crimes committed across the U.S. have been linked to the network by law enforcement officials. The alleged head honcho of this sprawling organization is Hector Guerrero Flores. A $5 million bounty awaits anyone providing information leading to his capture.
The dawn of the infamous reputation of the Tren de Aragua came about when Trump mentioned the concerted efforts by law enforcement in Aurora, Colorado to obliterate the set of organized crimes committed by the gang. Upon his take over of office, the former President pledged to initiate the ‘Operation Aurora,’ designed specifically to stem the gang’s activities.
Accusations against Tren de Aragua cross the boundaries of human trafficking, prostitution, abduction, theft, contract assassinations, arms trading, and narcotics supply. On April 22nd, Federal prosecutors made a public announcement of the indictment of two dozen people, presumably members or former members of Tren de Aragua, connected to racketeering, sex trafficking, and drug running in New York.
Criminal activities of the gang aren’t only confined within the U.S.; whispers of their criminal traces cross the international border into Chile and Peru, coastline of the Caribbean, and Colombia. Another incident that attracted attention was the arrest of suspected Tren de Aragua member Cristhian Oretga-Lopez. This event in Las Cruces triggered a sequence of events, including the displacement of Magistrate Judge Jose Joel Cano and the detention of Cano and his spouse, Nancy, facing charges of evidence tampering. They allegedly provided housing for Ortega-Lopez and aided in the obliteration of evidence post his apprehension.
A milestone event in the grappling saga occurred in September 2024 with the closure of The Gateway Hotel, amid allegations of providing refuge to members of Tren de Aragua and enabling their illegal operations on the premises.
In the migrant deportation initiatives of the Trump administration, which included gang members, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg called for a temporary end to deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in March until accused gang affiliates could appear for court hearings to challenge their association. Contradicting this order, the Trump administration proceeded with deporting over 500 Venezuelan migrants in April, asserting its actions as part of measures to counteract Tren de Aragua. The former President claimed that among the deportees were gang members.
The legal validity of the widespread expulsion of Venezuelans was challenged in federal court by those at the receiving end of immigration measures, vehemently denying their inclusion in Tren de Aragua. In defense of its actions, the Trump administration pointed to tattoos as indicators of gang association.
According to Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s Interior Minister, none of the deported individuals were associated with Tren de Aragua. He commented in March that among the hundreds sent back to Venezuela by U.S., not one was a member of the notorious gang.
In its assertions, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Tren de Aragua had verifiable operations in states including Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and New York. Notably, New Mexico was not on the list of regions where the organized crime group was known to operate or where they were reported to have perpetrated crimes.
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