Federal agents, in collaboration with the New York Police Department (NYPD), apprehended a group associated with the violent Venezuelan illegal immigrant gang Tren de Aragua during a raid in the Bronx on December 5. The operation at the Crotona Park apartment building resulted in the arrest of seven individuals, facilitated by the detection of an ankle monitor worn by a key suspect, Jarwin Valero-Calderon, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national. Valero-Calderon’s monitoring device was crucial in leading authorities to the hideout.
The crackdown is seen as a significant step against Tren de Aragua, a gang that has infiltrated the U.S. among waves of asylum-seeking migrants since 2022. The gang is known for recruiting within publicly funded migrant shelters and engaging in various criminal activities, including drug, gun, and human trafficking in New York. John Fabbricatore, former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) chief in Denver, expressed concerns over the gang’s growing influence and its expansion in sanctuary cities.
Sources highlighted multiple arrests, including Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, 24, and 30-year-old Jesus Manuel Quintero Granado. Both individuals are linked to various offenses across states, such as shoplifting, grand larceny, and handling stolen property, following their entry into the U.S. through El Paso.
Another suspect, 19-year-old Angel Gabriel Marquez Rodriguez, faced charges in Chicago and New York following his September 2023 border crossing. Furthermore, 21-year-old Fernandez Franco Greymer De Dios, associated with the gang, disappeared after claiming persecution but was eventually ordered deported.
The raid also focused attention on younger members of the gang, particularly the sub-group known as “Diablos de la 42,” noted for their activities in prominent areas like Times Square. Federal immigration sources confirmed all detainees’ links to Tren de Aragua.
Image by Julius Schorzman.