President-elect Donald Trump‘s has revealed his plan to deport over 800,000 migrants, including members of the notorious prison gang Tren de Aragua.
According to Tom Homan, the border czar appointed by Trump, the incoming administration has significant leverage to compel Venezuela to accept deportations. This could involve the use of tactics such as imposing additional sanctions and withholding aid, which amounted to $209 million last year.
According to Thomas Homan, as reported by the New York Post, President Trump was successful in getting El Salvador to take back MS-13 and Mexico to agree to the Remain in Mexico program. Based on these accomplishments, Homan expressed confidence in President Trump’s ability to work with the president of Venezuela.
According to officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua has extended its influence to at least 16 states in the United States, encompassing regions that make up half of the country’s population. This revelation was confirmed by officials who spoke to the New York Post. An internal intelligence memo from the department alerted officials to the gang’s expanding presence in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Montana, and Wyoming. Prior to this, Tren de Aragua had already established a presence in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
According to the memo, the gang has seen a rise in its “violent tendencies” as it expands its reach into various regions. The presence of Tren de Aragua in D.C. and Virginia reportedly aligns with the growing migrant populations in those areas.
The memo stated that with the increasing population of Venezuelan nationals, there is a high probability of violent TdA migrants.
In August 2023, authorities in Fairfax County, Virginia apprehended three individuals believed to be part of the Tren de Aragua gang. The arrests were made following a shoplifting incident, during which it was discovered that one of the suspects possessed a counterfeit Venezuelan ID. Moreover, all three detainees exhibited distinctive gang tattoos. According to a memo, it is suspected that the gang has been specifically targeting the D.C. area due to its convenient proximity to the neighboring Virginia suburbs, allowing for easy execution of thefts, robberies, and assaults.
According to the memo, Tren de Aragua members are said to be becoming more involved in “lower-level fraud and theft schemes.” This includes sending stolen funds back to South America as a way to finance further criminal activities.
