Quick Hit:

The Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan criminal gang, is expanding its reach across the U.S., a new report Thursday warns. Known for its brutal tactics across Latin America, the gang has now infiltrated cities like Aurora, Colorado, where local communities have been seen terrorized in now-viral videos, raising alarm among law enforcement agencies.

Key Details:

• U.S. law enforcement has identified over 100 cases involving Tren de Aragua in states like Colorado, Texas, Florida, and New York, where they are suspected of robbery, drug distribution, and violent crimes.

• In Aurora, Colorado, the gang has turned dilapidated apartment buildings into crime hubs, with residents fleeing due to gang violence and drug activity. Police have since arrested and identified several known Tren de Aragua members involved in shootings, assaults, and other violent crimes.

• The gang’s expansion into the U.S. has raised concerns at a time when former President Donald Trump continues to highlight migrant crime as a key issue in his presidential campaign.

Diving Deeper:

The Tren de Aragua gang, which originated in a Venezuelan prison and rapidly evolved into a transnational criminal organization, is now emerging as a serious threat in the United States. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, U.S. law enforcement is investigating over 100 criminal cases tied to the gang across various states. What began as a localized issue in Latin America, where Tren de Aragua engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and violent crimes, has now spread into American cities like Miami, New York, and Texas.

In Aurora, Colorado, the gang has taken over run-down apartment complexes, terrorizing residents and turning parts of the city into dangerous zones. The Aurora Police Department has been actively investigating known members of the gang in connection with violent crimes, identifying several members, including Larry Medina, who was arrested after threatening to kill someone at Whispering Pines Condominiums. Other members, such as Jhonardy and Jhonnarty Pacheco-Chirinos, were involved in a nonfatal shooting at Fitzsimons Place apartments. According to the Aurora Police Department, these arrests reflect ongoing efforts to curb the gang’s influence in the area, but the violence continues to spread.

Homeland Security official Anthony Salisbury acknowledged the gang’s swift growth in the U.S., particularly in Miami, where numerous cases linked to Tren de Aragua are under investigation. "They expanded fast in Latin America, and they’re expanding fast here," Salisbury said on the group according to the Wall Street Journal. The gang’s U.S. expansion has drawn comparisons to MS-13, known for its violent criminal activities, with some officials calling Tren de Aragua “MS-13 on steroids.”

Tren de Aragua’s rise coincides with former President Donald Trump’s continued focus on migrant-related crime, an issue he has emphasized throughout his presidential campaign. Trump has repeatedly blamed the surge in migrant crime, including the infiltration of violent gangs like Tren de Aragua, on the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to secure the border, raising the very issue during Tuesday's presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.