Tag Archive for: tren de aragua

Texas Governor Abbott Declares Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua a Foreign Terrorist Organization

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The governor will also declare the criminal organization a “Tier 1” gang and establish a joint task force with special privileges to go after it.

Gov. Abbott Declares Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua a Foreign Terrorist Organization

The governor will also declare the criminal organization a “Tier 1” gang and establish a joint task force with special privileges to go after it.

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Gov. Greg Abbott announced several plans to assist state law enforcement in going after the rapidly growing Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua on Monday.

Abbott revealed that he would declare the gang a “Foreign Terrorist Organization,” according to Texas Government Code Chapter 2270. The designation allows authorities to forfeit the assets of suspected TDA associates.

Abbott was joined at the Monday press conference announcing the plan of action by Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw and Border Czar Mike Banks.

“TDA is notorious for their brutal violence and murder, and their kidnapping, extortion, bribery, and trafficking of drugs, weapons, and even humans. They’ve been linked to more than 100 law enforcement investigations across the country,” explained Abbott.

The gang has “been given the green light to shoot law enforcement officers in the United States,” the governor added.

In addition to the FTO designation, Abbott further designated TDA as a “Tier 1” gang. A 2018 Department of Public Safety threat assessment defines Tier 1 gangs as posing the “greatest threat to the state.”

Tango Blast and associated Tango cliques, the Texas Mexican Mafia, MS-13, and Barrio Azteca were other gangs listed as Tier 1 at the time.

Notably, TDA is already considered a “Transnational Criminal Organization” by federal officials.

Abbott said that the designations would coincide with a statewide operation targeting TDA through a task force made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

A new state database aimed at identifying TDA members through shared characteristics like “tattoos, scars, marks, types of crime, and methods of operation” will be used throughout the operation.

McCraw later expanded upon what the operation will look like in practice due to certain challenges, noting that the federal government has been unhelpful thus far in disclosing the locations of Venezuelan illegal aliens.

“We’ll not allow any of these TDA gangsters to gain a foothold in Texas. To that end, Texas anti-gang centers already have ongoing criminal enterprise investigations against TDA and all of the operational areas throughout the state,” stated McCraw.

“We are requesting that our federal partners provide us the whereabouts of these Venezuelan migrants,” he continued. “That’s very important because, unfortunately, you’re either a TDA member or a victim of TDA.”

Border Czar Mike Banks laid the blame for the nationwide TDA crisis as a “direct result” of the “open border policies” instituted by the Biden-Harris administration.

“The Biden-Harris administration has sent out an all-call to the world that you [can] cross this border without any consequences,” said Banks, who proceeded to criticize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s vetting policies.

Read more.

©2024. Amil Imani. All rights reserved.

Texas Oil Field Under Attack By Venezuelan Gang Tren De Aragua

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From multiple sources in Texas, I began receiving last week reports on increased Venezuela gang activity in a couple of communities along with a large oil field in west Texas. These activities followed the reports of Venezuela gang activity in Auro, Colorado and Chicago. There was not sufficient information regarding the attack on the oil field until receiving the report below under today’s date.

There is consistency with the reports on the makeup of the Venezuela gangs; in that, males, 16-30yoa, well-armed with automatic weapons, aggressive behavior and not hesitant to confront security or law enforcement. The reports further state the gangs appear well organized and even slightly tactical in their movements along with “lookouts” and the ability to move and escape smoothly and quickly.

As I write this, I am receiving a report of 20,000 Haitians overwhelming Springfield, Ohio.

READ: ‘Illegal And Sickening’: American Duck Hunters Decry ‘Haitian Privilege’ Run Amok In Springfield, Ohio 

It is my opinion, and I want to write this statement again, it is my opinion what we are beginning to hear are still “probes” by very aggressive, very criminal minded gangs testing the response of law enforcement, the judicial system, and even citizens. The compromise of the judicial system with socialist judges, city and county attorneys is a massive concern. Likewise, city councils have been neutered by “woke” and socialist members. These factors are well known to these gangs, and even if not well known there is little to no concern by the illegals that have been brought into our country as to the Rule of Law, etc. I will also state as my opinion, the growing gang activity is more than establishing turf. A battle has begun to collapse the Rule of Law, societal norms and traditions, and the prodigious number of ex-hard-core prisoners removed from prisons in foreign countries will bring a threat to law enforcement and Americans heretofore not known.

Violent gangs from Venezuela have made their way into Texas where they are now targeting critical energy infrastructure in America’s top oil field.
According to reports, a Texas-based oil and gas company issued a memo to its employees notifying them that both local law enforcement and the FBI are aware of migrant gangs from both Venezuela and Cuba that are committing thefts and other crimes in the Permian Basin. “Industry peers and law enforcement in West Texas (WTX) are aware of a recent increase in organized criminal activity inclusive of violent crimes, gang activity and oil field thefts in and around WTX operational areas,” the memo states. “These individuals and groups are armed, violent in nature and will not hesitate to use force.”

The memo goes on to explain that the crimes being committed include theft of:

  •  Oil
  •  Diesel fuel
  •  Copper wire and catalyst elements

“Recent incidents have also included two assaults by water haulers who were attempting to steal oil from WTX oilfield sites,” the memo continues. “After the thieves were observed by witnesses who drove up to investigate, the thieves attempted to use their vehicles to run the witnesses off the road.” “In another incident, a thief, acting as a spotter and following a water hauler who had stolen oil, also attempted to run a witness off the road. There have been numerous reports of second vehicles acting as spotters for water haulers committing oil thefts.”

EXCLUSIVE: Texas-based oil company issued a memo to employees warning them about security concerns from violent migrant gangs.

The gangs are allegedly attacking oil workers and attempting to steal oil, fuel, and copper from oil fields in Texas. pic.twitter.com/LeTDz2USya

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) September 5, 2024

(Related: Is Venezuela’s recent controversial election a harbinger of things to come for America as the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches?)

Illegals control America

It should be noted that Texas is not a sanctuary state, nor are the areas in and around the Permian Basin where illegal migrants are running amok stealing things. Even so, these criminal gangs have taken aim at domestic energy production in the Lone Star State in their latest escapades. What we are learning from this ongoing crisis, which also saw alien migrants terrorize Aurora, Colo., a suburb of Denver, is that illegal aliens are everywhere. It almost does not matter who wins the upcoming election because for all intents and purposes, illegal aliens now control the nation.

It will not matter who wins the election. The flood of illegals have a purpose in the overall plan that has been unfolding. Chaos as far and wide as possible. Massive spread across the nation!

Map: Sanctuary Cities, Counties, and States

To get an idea of how things are being run in America’s sanctuary cities and states, check out the following video showing discourse between a citizen and a cop about an illegal alien who committed a double homicide but was then set free due to sanctuary status. “We do not report illegals, undocumented immigrants,” the police officer says plainly. A cop tells a citizen who is reporting a crime committed by an immigrant: “I’ve arrested a double homicide suspect in this city before, I let him walk out the door because we’re a sanctuary city. We do not report illegals, undocumented immigrants.”

HOLY FVCK!

HOLY FVCK! A cop tells a citizen who is reporting a crime committed by an immigrant: “I’ve arrested a double homicide suspect in this city before, I let him walk out the door because we’re sanctuary city. We do not report illegals, undocumented immigrants.” CITIZEN: “So you’re gonna let a person who went to prison, he committed crime in America, who’s illegal right now, you re gonna let him go free right now?” OFFICER: “That’s exactly what I’m saying because we are sanctuary city” This is going to be Harris’ America!

CITIZEN: “So… pic.twitter.com/bclVNcQPSl

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) September 3, 2024

Imagine how much worse things will be if Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are installed into the White House. If you think open borders are a problem now, just wait until there are illegal aliens roaming the streets of Everywhere, USA bringing terror and destruction with them wherever they go.

The breakdown of society is accelerating as illegal migrants flood the nation, bringing with them terror and destruction.

Learn more at InvasionUSA.news.

©2024. Lyle J. Rapacki, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

RELATED VIDEO: Tren de Aragua, an illegal alien gang from Venezuela, is terrorizing communities across the U.S.

MS-13 on Steroids: Venezuelan Prison Gang Terrorizing U.S. Cities, Flowing Across Our Southern Border

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A violent Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua (TDA), has become increasingly organized and brazen, earning the new moniker “MS-13 on steroids.”

Republican Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales has warned that TDA members are not only aggressive but battle-hardened, having endured the violent environment of Venezuela. As they establish themselves in the U.S., they are becoming harder to track and even more dangerous. Deportation efforts are complicated by Venezuela’s refusal to accept their return, leaving these criminals free to terrorize American communities.

ICE deported only 834 Venezuelans in fiscal 2023 despite over 335,000 encounters with Venezuelan migrants at the border. The Biden administration briefly resumed deportations to Venezuela in October 2023, but the socialist dictatorship halted them in January after the U.S. reinstated economic sanctions. Gonzales described Venezuela’s strategy as effectively giving these criminals a “one-way trip to the United States.”

In a brazen display of violence, Tren de Aragua (TDA) members were linked to a June 24 jewelry heist in Denver, Colorado, where they posed as clients before pulling guns and viciously pistol-whipping two women. This ruthless attack in broad daylight sends a chilling message: these criminals are here, and they are unafraid to unleash chaos in our communities.

Federal authorities are now on high alert, as TDA has reportedly given the “green light” for attacks on police officers, signaling a new level of danger for law enforcement and the public alike.

We must urgently classify Venezuela as a high-risk nation and halt all entries from there immediately, especially given our current inability to deport their criminals. It’s time to shut the door on this escalating threat before more Americans lose their lives!

The Growing Threat of a Venezuelan Crime Network

The transnational Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan gang, has infiltrated the United States, posing a significant threat. March 7th, 2024

  • Recent court documents link Diego Ibarra, brother of Laken Riley’s killer, to the Tren de Aragua gang, highlighting its presence in the US.
  • The US Government is granting temporary parole status to Venezuelans despite the total inability to vet and identify individuals with criminal records or gang affiliation.
  • There is no information sharing between Venezuela and the US Gov’t.
  • Hamas is based in Venezuela and holds official government offices.

Tren de Aragua has emerged as the fastest-growing transnational criminal organization globally. Originating in Aragua state, northern Venezuela, the group has expanded its reach as millions of Venezuelans migrated, initially to other Latin American nations, and the gang has seemingly followed in their wake.

FBI El Paso has reported Tren De Aragua exploits the opportunity to move undetected amongst the surge of thousands of Venezuelan migrants, especially since they abandoned gang tattoos, allowing them to avoid alerting the US Border Patrol at our southern border.

Between 2018 and 2023, Tren de Aragua orchestrated a transnational criminal network, establishing cells in Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, and now the United States. Their extensive criminal portfolio includes contract killings, guerilla warfare, extortion, loan sharking, kidnapping, torture, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, robberies, migrant smuggling, contraband, illegal mining, retail drug trafficking, cybercrime, and theft. Countries such as Chile, Peru, and Colombia have conducted substantial operations against the gang since 2022, especially on their borders.

The FBI has found alarming indications that a potential alliance is forming with the notoriously violent MS-13. The gang’s expansion is attributed to its strategic alliances with other organized crime networks, involving non-aggression pacts and, in some cases, partnerships to share criminal proceeds.

In Georgia, Diego Ibarra, aged 29, was arrested for possession of a counterfeit green card, used to secure employment at the University of Georgia, the same institution where his 22-year-old brother, Jose Ibarra, stands accused of the heinous murder of Laken Riley. The arrest and the subsequent revelation underscore a troubling connection between the Ibarra brothers and illicit activities.  

In Virginia, Venezuelan Renzo Mendoza Montes, 32, was arrested last week on two felony charges for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl released at the gang-preferred El Paso border crossing 5 months ago.

In New York, let’s not forget the Tren de Aragua gang charged in the brutal attack on NYPD cops in Times Square.

In Texas, FBI Special Agent Britton Boyd, El Paso, underscores Tren de Aragua’s focus on human smuggling and sex trafficking, particularly within Venezuelan migrant communities along the US-Mexico border. This raises concerns about the gang preying on vulnerable populations, engaging in extortion, and committing violent crimes to establish dominance.

In Texas, Former Border Patrol Agent Ammon Blair, Serving in the Rio Grand Valley Sector, paints a grim picture of the gang’s modus operandi, including extortion of migrant businesses.

Venezuelan nationals in the US and abroad are forced to cover for this gang, receiving death threats for snitching. In one case, this gang threatened to poison the water supply.

THIS IS WHAT WE WELCOMED INTO THE US?!

A Bogota Asylum seeker in the US stated, “Every time I arrived in my neighborhood, I had to hide everything –– my money, my cell phone –– because they could kill me for that,” and we are witnessing these tactics on our streets.

The Tren de Aragua gang’s incursion into the US has manifested in violent phone robberies in New York City, where members on mopeds ruthlessly snatch devices from unsuspecting victims.

As we grapple with the reality of a violent gang finding a foothold within our borders, the question becomes: How will we respond? Ignoring the issue is not an option.

Justice for Laken Riley Act! Get Tough on Migrant Crime.

©2024. ACT For America! All rights reserved.

Please visit the Act for America Substack

MIAMI: Venezuelan Gang Member Accused Of Kidnapping, Strangling Florida Man To Death Was In U.S. Illegally

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A member of a violent Venezuelan gang accused of kidnapping and strangling to death a man in Florida was in the U.S. illegally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Border Patrol in Danie Beach, Florida, issued a detainer with the Miami Dade County Corrections for the arrest of Yurwin Salazar Maita, the illegal alien from Venezuela, on Jan. 10 following his arrest on state homicide and kidnapping charges, ICE told the DCNF. Salazar Maita, who is a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua, is accused of kidnapping and murdering Jose Luis Sanchez Valera in November, according to a local news report.

“As part of its mission to identify and arrest removable noncitizens, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) lodges immigration detainers against noncitizens who have been arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody by state or local law enforcement. An immigration detainer is a request from ICE to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable noncitizen is released from their custody,” an ICE spokesperson told the DCNF.

The victim was lured on Nov. 27 by women to a La Quinta Inn & Suites in Doral, Florida, according to the local report. At around 2:35 a.m. on Nov. 28, Sanchez Valera left the hotel room with two women and was ambushed by three individuals, allegedly including Salazar Maita, who kidnapped him in the hotel parking lot.

Two gunmen also broke into Sanchez Valera’s apartment, stealing a safe, according to the local report. Sanchez Valera’s relatives later found his dead body in his car, where he had his hands and feet bound with tape in the back seat, and a medical examiner later ruled his cause of death as asphyxiation.

Tren de Aragua primarily exploits Venezuelan women and children in trafficking in Peru, according to the State Department. The gang’s leader Héctor Guerrero, 40, fled a prison in Venezuela that he gained control over and is a fugitive wanted in Venezuela, Peru, Chile and by Interpol, according to the local news outlet.

Young members of the Venezuelan gang have been trying to enter the U.S. by forgoing tattoos showing their affiliation to skirt border authorities, Kyle Williamson, the director of the West Texas Anti-Gang Center located in El Paso, Texas, previously told the DCNF.

AUTHOR

JENNIE TAER

Investigative reporter.

RELATED ARTICLES:

How Biden’s Policies Triggered a 7,300% Increase in Illegal Immigration from Venezuela, Endangering U.S. Security

Biden DHS Asking Border Patrol To Record ‘Altercations’ With Texas Law Enforcement, DCNF Reporter Reveals

EXCLUSIVE: Man Who Allegedly Defrauded Elderly American Out Of Thousands Of Dollars Was In The US Illegally

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