Massive Chicago Raid Nets Violent Venezuelan Gang Members Despite Sanctuary Laws [WATCH]

Federal authorities carried out a large-scale immigration raid in Chicago on Tuesday, arresting more than two dozen individuals linked to the violent Tren de Aragua gang.

The operation, which brought together multiple agencies and roughly 300 federal officers, was conducted in the city’s South Shore neighborhood.

Officials believe the apartment complex targeted in the raid served as a hub for members of the Venezuelan criminal organization.

According to Fox 32 Chicago, the FBI confirmed in a statement that it assisted U.S. Border Patrol in conducting what it described as a “targeted immigration enforcement operation.”

Border Patrol reported that more than a dozen individuals were taken into custody and transported to the Broadview ICE facility for processing. Officials also stated they were seeking six high-priority targets identified as suspected members of Tren de Aragua.

Video from the scene showed large numbers of federal agents on the ground and a helicopter overhead.

Authorities have linked members of the gang to gun and drug trafficking in the city.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

The raid was described by local media as an unprecedented show of federal force in the South Shore area.

Feds roll out MASSIVE raid on Chicago gang hideout—helicopter, 300 agents, two dozen arrests.

Federal authorities just unleashed an unprecedented show of force in Chicago.

A helicopter helped lead a multi-agency raid on an apartment building tied to Tren de Aragua gang… pic.twitter.com/pHDTnpTrUT

— Overton (@overton_news) September 30, 2025

The operation comes less than a month after the Department of Homeland Security announced the launch of Operation Midway Blitz, a campaign designed to crack down on criminal illegal aliens operating in sanctuary cities.

DHS officials said the operation was named in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in Illinois in a hit-and-run accident caused by an illegal alien.

“DHS is launching Operation Midway Blitz in honor of Katie Abraham who was killed in Illinois by a criminal illegal alien who should have never been in our country,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

“This operation will target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Chicago. For years, Governor Pritzker and his fellow sanctuary politicians released Tren de Aragua gang members, rapists, kidnappers, and drug traffickers on Chicago’s streets—putting American lives at risk and making Chicago a magnet for criminals,” McLaughlin continued.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message: no city is a safe haven for criminal illegal aliens,” she added.

“If you come to our country illegally and break our laws, we will hunt you down, arrest you, deport you, and you will never return.”

🚨 “The surge has begun!”

“Operation Midway Blitz” launches in Chicago:

“I was out with one of ICE’s teams, and we arrested this individual… a 43-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. He has been convicted in 2024 of forcibly sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13.” pic.twitter.com/qXwJHFIpfK

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 8, 2025

The Department of Homeland Security also released a list of individuals previously freed under Illinois’ sanctuary policies.

Among them were Tren de Aragua gang members Dany Daniel Hernandez Colina and Carlos Johendy Gonzales Montero, who authorities said had been released back onto the streets despite criminal ties.

The arrests highlight the ongoing conflict between federal immigration enforcement efforts and state and local sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal authorities.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has continued to defend sanctuary laws, which prevent state and local law enforcement from holding individuals solely on immigration violations.

Federal officials said Tuesday’s raid was part of a broader strategy to dismantle violent networks operating inside U.S. cities and to prevent criminal illegal aliens from reentering communities after previous arrests.

The Biden-era policies limiting immigration enforcement have been rolled back under President Donald Trump, who has directed DHS, ICE, and Border Patrol to prioritize operations targeting gangs, drug traffickers, and violent offenders.

The administration has emphasized that local sanctuary policies will not shield those involved in organized crime from arrest and deportation.

As processing continues at the Broadview ICE facility, officials indicated that additional operations targeting Tren de Aragua affiliates in Chicago are planned in the weeks ahead.

Federal authorities said the objective is to remove gang-linked individuals from communities and to prevent future releases under sanctuary protections.

The raid marks one of the most significant immigration enforcement actions in Chicago since the launch of Operation Midway Blitz, showcasing the administration’s stated commitment to pursuing criminal illegal aliens in cities with sanctuary policies.