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Authorities Warn of Escalating Threat As Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua Expands Across U.S.[WATCH]
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Authorities Warn of Escalating Threat As Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua Expands Across U.S.[WATCH]

By Jim Taft
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Authorities are raising alarms about the rapid expansion of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a violent Venezuelan gang described as “MS-13 on steroids.”

The gang, already operating in at least 18 states, is projected to have a presence in more than half the country by February, according to law enforcement experts.

Tren de Aragua has established footholds in both rural and urban areas, including Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming.

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The gang also maintains strongholds in major metropolitan areas like New York, Chicago, and cities across Texas.

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director for Colorado and Wyoming, John Fabbricatore, spoke about the gang’s rapid spread.

“They’re in 17 states now. I wouldn’t be surprised if by February, that’s higher than 25,” Fabbricatore told DailyMail.com.

The gang originated in Venezuela’s prison system and has infiltrated the U.S. via the southern border, hidden among the one million Venezuelan migrants who entered the country under the Biden-Harris administration.

TdA members are often identified by tattoos featuring trains, crowns, clocks, and AK-47s.

Last month, authorities in West Fargo, North Dakota, arrested three suspected TdA members, including 25-year-old Henry Theis, who was found with $24,800 in cash.

Theis admitted to working with accomplices to hack ATMs using a virus to steal money.

Two other Venezuelan suspects, Jefferson Rodriguez-Quintero and Ryber Sanchez, were also arrested in connection with the scheme.

Fabbricatore explained the gang’s operations: “To them, everything in the U.S. is just dollar signs. It doesn’t matter how remote, whether it’s North Dakota or somewhere else. There are ATMs, jewelry stores, and homes to rob.”

In Houston, Texas, two alleged TdA members, Franklin Pena, 26, and Johan Martinez-Rangel, 22, face capital murder charges for the rape and killing of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in June.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg confirmed that the state would seek the death penalty if the suspects are found guilty.

San Antonio, Texas, authorities have reported that TdA members have taken over several apartment complexes, using them for criminal activities.

In December, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a 19-year-old TdA member in Miami, Florida.

The suspect, a Venezuelan national, had previously been detained for illegal entry in 2022.

He was taken into custody near West Palm Beach, not far from President-elect Donald Trump’s residence.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, Venezuelan dissident Carlos Moreno, who is running for office, warned of the gang’s presence in Utah.

TdA has been linked to crimes including a prostitution ring and a shooting. “Our law enforcement people are not ready yet to face these kinds of gangs,” Moreno told The New York Post.

TdA has been accused of a wide range of violent crimes, including murders, sex trafficking, and attacks on law enforcement.

Earlier this year, reports revealed that the gang had taken over apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado, using them as sites for torture.

In one incident, a couple was held hostage, pistol-whipped, and tortured by gang members.

In New York, TdA has reportedly recruited children as young as 11 from migrant shelters, forming a group known as the “Little Devils of 42nd Street.”

These child recruits have been involved in robberies and violent crimes, according to law enforcement.

Authorities across the U.S. are now working to combat the growing threat posed by Tren de Aragua.

Fabbricatore warned of the challenges ahead: “They look at the United States as one big money pit. Everything is an opportunity for them to exploit.”

As TdA continues to expand its reach, law enforcement agencies are ramping up efforts to address the gang’s activities and protect communities nationwide.


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