FOX First: A violent Venezuelan gang that has committed crimes in multiple U.S. states is spreading across the country “like a slow-growing cancer,” according to a new report from a conservative group. It will have an impact “for decades”.
The Heritage Foundation provides an overview of the issues surrounding Torren de Aragua and how it became the latest transnational criminal organization to establish itself in the United States, an issue that proliferated at the same time as a historic crisis on the southern border. It is being announced.
“Over the past several years, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have been released, paroled into the United States, granted temporary protected status, or sneaked into the United States without encountering authorities (“fleeing”). ”, the prepared statement said. Simon Hankinson and Erin Schniaderjan said an early copy was obtained by Fox News Digital. “Among them are hundreds of members of Torren de Aragua (TdA). TdA, like other immigrant gangs, begins by preying on their own people.”
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According to the El Paso County Attorney’s Office, Torren de Aragua gang members allegedly engaged in illegal activities including illegal dumping and drug use. (KFOX14/El Paso County Prosecutor’s Office)
Researchers say Torren de Aragua began in the Tocolon prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state and has since spread to Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the United States. The No. 13 gang emerged in the 1980s and is regularly involved in crimes across the country.
“TdA has expanded its network by forming alliances with other gangs and moving into areas that follow the migration patterns of Venezuelans to the United States,” they say.
The report quotes Mark Morgan, a former acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner who oversaw a gang task force that targeted MS-13 in the early 2000s. His warning is harsh, as he blames the current administration for the rise of TdA.
“MS-13 continues to top the list of more than 50 different gangs around the world attempting to trespass our nation’s borders, but the Biden-Harris administration is intentionally targeting MS-13 2.0. “It provided a path to something sexual,” he says.
“This is a gang with well-documented tendencies for violence and ruthlessness. TdA has spread its criminal activities across the country like a slow-growing cancer, and has been with us for decades. It’s creating a preventable crime wave that remains,” he says.
The study also cited statistics from Venezuela showing a 25% decline in violent deaths from 2021 to 2022, noting that “Venezuela exports thousands of young offenders, many to the United States. It is not impossible to assume that there is a connection between exports.”
Meanwhile, states including Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New York have seen a number of TdA-related crimes in the past year, with authorities reporting more than 62 robberies and gang-related incidents in New York City. The suspected members are said to be affiliated with TdA. He was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
A March bulletin from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) warned officials about gang tattoos and other identifying information. The brother of the suspect in the murder of Georgia student Laken Riley has gang ties.
The gang has established a significant presence in parts of Colorado and has reportedly taken over many apartment complexes. Fox News Digital reported in July that TdA members were given the “green light” to shoot and attack law enforcement in Denver.
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Amid the growing profile, former President Trump has vowed to confront gangs if elected next month. On Friday, he detailed “Operation Aurora” to eliminate TdA members.
The plan would invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle “any illegal immigrant criminal network operating on American soil.”
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“Today, upon taking office, I am announcing that I will conduct Operation Aurora at the federal level and invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to facilitate the elimination of these barbaric gangs. It was established in 1790.” Yes, that was a long time ago, right? ” President Trump said Friday. “Target and dismantle all immigrant criminal networks operating on American soil.”
He added: “Who would have ever imagined that a president, or a future president, would have to stand here and say something like that?”
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Meanwhile, the Heritage Foundation’s report notes that there may be other cases of crimes committed by gang members that go unreported. Sen. J.D. Vance, President Trump’s running mate, recently refuted media claims that the gang’s operations are limited to a “small number” of apartment complexes.
“It is likely that they have ties to Torren de Aragua and other gangs, but it is not always obvious to U.S. law enforcement even after their arrest,” the report said, adding that the reported crimes ” It warns that this may be “the tip of the iceberg.”
FOX News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
