The notorious crime syndicate Tren De Aragua (TdA) is as much a threat to the U.S. as fentanyl, according to a top Border Patrol official.
TdA is a Venezuelan gang that has been connected to a string of high-profile crimes in the U.S., including the murders of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, as well as taking over a hotel in El Paso.
Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens cautioned that cartels are adapting their strategies to overcome new challenges, such as advanced technology. He highlighted fentanyl and the violent Venezuelan migrant gang Tren de Aragua as two of the primary threats currently on the agency’s radar.
“It’s a very serious threat for us,” Owens said of TdA on Fox News. “It is one of our top priorities, just like fentanyl. Tomorrow it may be something else, but today it’s TdA and fentanyl that represent some of the biggest threats to our people in this country.”
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TdA drew national attention after a viral security camera video emerged of armed gangsters storming an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado.
Two gang members in the viral video were arrested in New York City on November 27.
Danyeer Aramillo Meneses, 23, and Edilson Pena Angulo, 25, identified as members of the infamous Venezuelan street gang, were taken into federal custody during a raid, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ronald Vitiello, who served as acting director of ICE from June 2018 to April 2019, previously told Newsweek that under President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed mass deportation plans the gang could be rapidly dealt with.
“In the case of Tren de Aragua, they can be dismantled quickly and definitively because their presence in the United States, although dangerous, has just begun,” he said.
He continued: “They are particularly vulnerable to removal and deportation, and so the United States could end their lawlessness as quickly as it began.”
CBP data shows no TdA members were arrested at the southern border before 2023.
Border Patrol reported apprehending 41 known TdA gang members in the 2023 fiscal year and 23 in the 2024 fiscal year.
TdA, a transnational criminal organization founded in a Venezuelan prison, is primarily involved in human trafficking and other abuses targeting vulnerable migrants.
A Telemundo report states that the gang is estimated to have around 5,000 members and generates annual profits ranging from $10 million to $15 million.
The gang is accused of smuggling women and girls for sexual exploitation. A suspected sex trafficking ringleader, identified as La Barbie, who is believed to have connections to the Venezuelan gang, was apprehended in El Paso, Texas, in October.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has recently taken steps to have TdA designated as a terrorist organization, which would increase the criminal penalties for suspected members. He also announced a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members involved in criminal activity.
