A Venezuelan street gang’s expansion across the United States is heightening concerns among state and federal authorities. Information from a New Mexico police department, corroborated by federal officials, indicates that members of the gang, Tren De Aragua, have been encouraged to attack police officers in Denver.
On Tuesday, the Albuquerque Police Department confirmed receiving a safety alert regarding the Tren De Aragua organization. Additionally, according to a bulletin from the Colorado Information Analysis Center, members of the gang in Denver have been permitted to target law enforcement officers.
Similar warnings have been sent to federal officials in Chicago and Border Patrol agents. Originating in a Venezuelan prison, the gang has gradually spread northward, reaching the United States. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has previously alerted agents to the potential arrival of Tren De Aragua members via the southern border.
Former President Donald J. Trump has blasted the Biden-Harris government’s open borders policies for allowing the violent Venezuelan gang to gain a foothold in the United States. “In Chicago and Miami, police have confirmed the violent Venezuelan ‘Tren de Aragua’ gang is now operating in their cities,” he noted in February.
In May, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens warned, “Their criminal activities represent a serious threat to our communities!”
Meanwhile, The National Pulse reported in March that Diego Ibarra, brother of Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant arrested for the murder of Laken Riley, is likely a member of Tren de Aragua.
Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed concerns about the gang’s growing influence. Representative Troy Nehls (R-TX) has called for a moratorium on all Venezuelans entering the U.S. due to the risk posed by released Venezuelan prisoners embedding themselves into illegal immigrant caravans.
