Violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua spreads to one of America’s most remote states

The Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua has now spread to one of the most remote states in America, after an alleged member was arrested for felony theft last month. 

Local authorities in West Fargo, North Dakota, arrested suspected gang member Henry Theis, 25, in early November, according to the Cass County Jail roster.

The violent gang, which made national headlines in 2023 after reports of members of the group holding an apartment building hostage in Aurora, Colorado, has now expanded its territory to more than a dozen U.S. states. 

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"Tren de Aragua now has a presence in 17 states." Congressman Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, posted on X. "I look forward to working with President Trump to secure our border and restore safety in our communities."

West Fargo has a population of less than 40,000, and North Dakota itself is one of the least-populated states in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

The origins of Tren de Aragua, which means "Train from Aragua," have been traced to a Venezuelan prison more than a decade ago. 

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Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang took over an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, charging rent in exchange for "protection." (Edward Romero, left, and Aurora Police Department)

Police originally pulled over Theis for driving without his headlights on, but they soon discovered more than $24,000 in cash he allegedly stole from a nearby bank, a facemask, a latex glove, cables and a computer keyboard during a search of his car, according to KXLG.

Theis admitted to being part of an organization of hackers who were "jackpotting" ATMs, using a virus to steal money, court documents revealed, according to the outlet. 

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West Fargo Bank in North Dakota in 2001. (Andre Jenny/Alamy Stock Photo)

Two other suspects were arrested, bringing the total theft amount to almost $100,000. Theis provided names of the other individuals involved, including Jefferson Rodriguez-Quintero and Ryber Sanchez, who were also arrested, the local outlet reported. 

Another Venezuelan national, suspected of being a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, was recently arrested near President-elect Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

"U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Venezuelan national who was identified as a Tren de Aragua gang member," Jeffrey Dinise, the chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrol's Miami Sector, wrote on X on Tuesday. 

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These images from a Cusoms and Border Protection intelligence bulletin show tattoos and identifiers for Tren De Aragua. (ICE)

Violent crimes by Tren de Aragua members have spread across the nation and have been linked to the high-profile murders of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia and 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston. 

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In addition to North Dakota, the gang has a presence in Colorado, Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin, and most recently in Virginia, Montana and Wyoming, according to a New York Post report that cites a Homeland Security memo.