Four members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) that took over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, are illegal aliens released into the country by the Biden administration, confirmed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as quoted by Fox News.
The Arrests
According to Fox, in July 2024, four Venezuelan nationals, all members of Tren de Aragua, were arrested in Aurora, Colorado, in connection with an attempted homicide. These arrests followed a violent incident near the Nome Street Apartments, a building that had reportedly been overtaken by armed members of the gang.
It is worth noting that just a week ago, Democratic Colorado Governor Jared Polis dismissed the violent takeover of the Aurora apartment complexes, which in some cases started to occur as early as November 2023, as “imagination.”
The arrests are part of a broader investigation into gang-related activities in Aurora, where TdA has evidently exerted control over several apartment complexes.
The outlet notes that all four entered the United States illegally through the southern border between 2022 and 2023, raising questions about U.S. immigration enforcement policies and the ability of federal agencies to track and detain gang members entering the country:
According to ICE, 24-year-old Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirinos or ‘Cookie’ was encountered by Border Patrol Agents in the Del Rio Sector, Texas in October 2022. Pacheco was then released and given a notice to appear. Currently, Pacheco has been given felony charges for assault with a deadly weapon, among others.
Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos, the brother of ‘Cookie,’ was arrested for attempted murder and other charges. He was also apprehended at the Del Rio Sector, Texas in October 2022.
Both Nixon and Dixon Azuaje-Perez were apprehended by Border Patrol agents at Eagle Pass, Texas on August 22, 2023. The two were given notices to appear and placed under parole in the United States pending proceedings.
ICE has also confirmed that all four are now in custody pending further proceedings.
The “Invading Criminal Army”
Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organization with an estimated 5,000 members operating between Venezuela and the United States.
Congressional Republicans pleaded with President Joe Biden to address the TdA matter, writing in a March 14 letter:
Tren de Aragua is an invading criminal army from a prison in Venezuela that has spread their brutality and chaos to U.S. cities and small towns. If left unchecked, they will unleash an unprecedented reign of terror, mirroring the devastation it has already inflicted in communities throughout Central and South America, most prominently in Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The breadth of Tren de Aragua’s operations encompasses murder, drug and human trafficking, sex crimes, extortion, and kidnapping, among other brutalities. It is clear that most state and local law enforcement agencies are not yet prepared to handle the magnitude of this grave threat.
In July, the U.S. Treasury placed sanctions on the gang, which it designated as a transnational criminal organization “that is expanding throughout the Western Hemisphere and engaging in diverse criminal activities, such as human smuggling and trafficking, gender-based violence, money laundering, and illicit drug trafficking.”
Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of State, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), has announced reward offers totaling up to $12 million for information that leads to the arrest and/or conviction of several Tren de Aragua leaders involved in conspiring to engage in, or attempting to engage in, transnational organized crime.
Recent reports indicate that Aurora is far from the only city facing threats from TdA. The gang has also established a presence in other major cities, including Dallas, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, where its activities have similarly sparked fear and violence.
In recent months, Tren de Aragua members have been linked to a series of violent crimes across the United States. These incidents include the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley in March and the shooting of two NYPD officers during an arrest in June.
Law enforcement records and prosecutors’ filings referenced in a late-August report by The Latin Times. indicate that Tren de Aragua is referenced in over 70 cases. Of these, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Texas identified 58 individuals as gang members during the fiscal year of 2023 through May. The remaining cases stem from complaints filed by victims or arrests, suggesting the involvement of suspects linked to the transnational criminal organization.
How Do They Get Here?
Tren de Aragua members have been infiltrating the United States primarily through the southern border, using routes that many migrants from Venezuela take to escape their country’s economic collapse.
According to a detailed report by the think tank InSight Crime, TdA, “Venezuela’s most powerful home-grown criminal syndicate,” takes advantage of weaknesses in the United States immigration system, such as the practice of “catch and release.” After being detained at the border, many, such as the Pacheco-Chirinos and Azuaje-Perez brothers, are given notices to appear in immigration court but are often released into the country until their court dates, which can be months or even years later. During this time, they can establish operations or connect with existing criminal networks.
Once in the United States, these gang members often lie low and integrate into immigrant communities. There they can operate undetected until caught committing crimes.
Mexican authorities in states like Chihuahua remain on high alert, observing that numerous suspected members of Tren de Aragua are continuing to cross into the U.S. as part of the larger migrant influx, according to The Latin Times. Authorities report that gang members often cross through the El Paso, Texas-Juarez, Mexico corridor.
John Birch Society members across the country are working to stop the invasion of America by illegal aliens. Go to JBS.org to see how you can help.
