By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-14 23:01:52 | Updated at 2024-11-27 04:04:26
1 week ago
A notorious Venezuelan gang that has spread its tentacles across the US is now terrorizing 'every major city' in Tennessee, local officials have warned.
Tren de Aragua was described by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director David Rausch as a violent 'super gang' in Tuesday's budget meeting.
'We know they are on a pathway to more violence,' said Rausch. 'They are back in all our major cities. They are running human trafficking operations.'
Major cities in Illinois, Connecticut, Georgia, New York, Colorado, and multiple cities in Texas, have also seen major incidents involving the gang.
'They're here, and they're in numbers,' Rausch added.
He warned that the group was on a path to increased violence and have asked the governor for funding to put an end to their operations, before they engage in more retail theft and take on the drug trade.
He added: 'Recently there was a video that they showed, where they shot a cartel member 31 times, broad daylight on video and posted it to social media.'
Congressman Andy Ogles said this issue is one he had been keeping a close eye on, he added: 'Every small town in America is a border town because of the immigration crisis.'
The Tren de Aragua gang has been identified with increasing violence across multiple major cities in America
Footage of the gang's activity in Colorado appears to capture the armed gang seizing control of an apartment complex
Gang members have been arrested across America for charges of violence, sexual offences, drug charges or human trafficking. Pictured is Estefania Primera, 37, who was arrested in Texas on charges of human trafficking after drugging another migrant woman and forcing her into sex
'We will begin deporting individuals who are here. You've got to prioritize those who are here with violent intent,' said Ogles, who got in touch with president-elect Donald Trump. Gov. Lee told WZTV he would review the budget requests from the TBI.
The same gang had been identified in the state years ago during a human trafficking bust, the gang had been abducting women from Venezuela and took them to Tennessee. Many of the gang members fled after the operation but none had been seen since - until recently.
Stories of the violent gang's presence across America has increased over the last few years.
Arrest data shared with DailyMail.com revealed that the gangsters were now operating in more US cities than originally feared.
Members from the Tren de Aragua gang were busted in Chicago - dozens in less than two years - and several were allowed to walk free, according to the New York Post.
At least 30 suspected gang members were arrested by Chicago Police between January 2023 and September 2024 for crimes ranging from traffic violations to robberies and drug offences, the outlet reported.
The gang had adopted its name between 2013 and 2015, according to CNN, but began operations years before.
The group's leadership were reportedly running out of the notorious Tocorón prison, which they controlled.
Inside the prison walls, officials found a swimming pool and several restaurants and weapons, including automatic rifles, machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch has warned that the violent 'super gang', Tren de Aragua , has infiltrated all major cities in the state and is continuing to grow
Venezuela's most violent gang Tren de Aragua has moved its headquarters to just across the US border in the Mexican town of Ciudad Juarez
US Border Patrol chief Jason Owens, posted on X: 'Watch out for this gang. It is the most powerful in Venezuela, known for murder, drug trafficking, sex crimes, extortion, & other violent acts.'
A former Venezuelan police officer, Álvaro Boza who now lives in Florida, says he fled his country in large part because the gang had become so powerful.
Boza recalled that the gang was able to kill law enforcement, like him, with little consequence.
A fellow police officer who refused to cooperate with the gang was shot 50 times, Boza recalled: 'He refused and was murdered. They tied his body to a motorcycle and dragged it throughout the San Vicente neighborhood to demonstrate the power of the Tren de Aragua.'
Earlier this year republican members of Congress, led by Florida senator Marco Rubio, called on the Biden administration to designate the gang as a 'Transnational Criminal Organization', reported CNN.
The letter they sent to President Biden read: 'If left unchecked, they will unleash an unprecedented reign of terror, mirroring the devastation it has already inflicted in communities throughout Central and South America, most prominently in Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.'
