Fears are growing over the spread of a violent Venezuelan gang across the US, with experts warning the mobsters could have a foothold in more than half the country by February next year.
It emerged earlier this month that Tren de Aragua, which has been dubbed the ‘epitome of evil’ and ‘MS-13 on steroids’, is already operating in 18 states.
{snip}
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, former immigration and customs enforcement director for Colorado and Wyoming, John Fabbricatore, said: ‘We’re going to start hearing stories about them getting arrested everywhere.
‘They’re in 17 states now. I wouldn’t be surprised if by February, that’s higher than 25.’
Known as TdA to law enforcement, the gang originated in a Venezuelan prison.
Members of the South American mafia have since crept into the US via the southern border, hidden among the one million Venezuelan migrants who have entered the country under the Biden administration.
They can often be identified by telltale tattoos, including a train (‘tren’ is Spanish for train), a crown, a clock and an AK-47.
{snip}
And startling police investigations have showed how the mob is behind a spiraling crime wave across America, with gangsters accused of murders, violent attacks on cops and sex trafficking.
North Dakota
Three suspected TdA members were taken into custody in North Dakota last month.
Authorities in West Fargo, which is home to fewer than 40,000 people, arrested alleged gang member Henry Theis, 25, according to Valley News Live.
Theis was charged with felony theft last month after being found with $24,800 in cash in a car.
{snip}
He also volunteered that other Venezuelan criminals were doing the same thing in North Dakota and going by the nickname, ‘the magicians.’
The car Theis was driving had temporary paper tags from Texas, and he told the cops he was a Venezuelan living in Dallas.
A few days later, two other Venezuelans believed to be working with Thesis were also taken into custody.
Jefferson Rodriguez-Quintero and Ryber Sanchez were similarly charged over the ATM scam and booked into the Codington County Jail, reported local station KXLG.
‘They look at the United States as just one big money pit for them,’ Fabbricatore explained.
‘It doesn’t matter how far out, like you think, North Dakota – that’s going pretty far. But to them, there’s ATM machines there. There’s jewelry stores there. There are things to rob. There’s rich people there that they can hit their homes. Everything in the US to them is just dollar signs.’
Between the three men arrested in North Dakota, almost $100,000 in cash was recovered.
East to West
American law enforcement officials confirmed that the South American syndicate has been active in California, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming, Fox News reported.
A memo from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the mob’s presence there but not not cite specific cases or arrests.
{snip}
One couple was held against their will, tortured and terrorized by 13 to 15 armed individuals, Aurora’s police chief Todd Chamberlin said.
‘They were pistol whipped, they were beaten, they were terrorized. The fact that one human could treat another human like this is appalling,’ he added.
The pair even had their fingernails yanked from their hands, DailyMail.com uncovered this week.
Meanwhile, in New York, Tren de Aragua has recruited a so-called army of child gang members as young as 11 from migrant shelters.
Dubbed the ‘Little Devils of 42nd Street‘, police warned they were robbing shops and threatening members of the public with guns and knives.
Texas
The Lone Star State has said it will seek the death penalty for two alleged TdA members accused of raping and killing a 12-year-old girl in Houston.
{snip}
Pena and Rangel are accused of luring the girl from a Houston convenience store late at night and were allegedly seen walking under a bridge with her where they spent two hours before emerging alone, police said.
Nungaray’s body was found hours later floating in a bayou. The pre-teen had been raped and strangled.
Authorities believe both suspects have ties to TdA.
DailyMail.com has also previously reported how the gangsters infiltrated San Antonio and took over at least four apartment complexes.
The Dallas Police Department also confirmed earlier this year that Tren De Aragua was in the city committing crimes.
Florida
Another alleged Venezuelan gang member was arrested in Miami, the US Border Patrol announced in December.
{snip}
The agency told DailyMail.com the gangster, 19, was detained in West Palm Beach Florida, not far from the home of President-elect Donald Trump.
‘Custody of the individual was transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. When individuals are encountered with derogatory information, we deny admission, detain them, or refer them to other federal agencies for removal or further vetting, investigation and/or prosecution as appropriate,’ a Border Patrol spokesman said.
Utah
{snip}
Carlos Moreno told the New York Post: ‘Our law enforcement people are not ready. They are not ready yet to face these kinds of gangs in Utah because the way that they do things are totally different than criminals here in the United States.’
‘That’s why people right now are very afraid,’ he added.
* Original Article:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/texas/article-14183431/amp/venezuelan-gang-tren-aragua-spread-violent-crime.html?ito=smartnews
