Tren de Aragua Gang Given 'Green Light' to Open Fire on U.S. Law Enforcement Officers

A new report reveals that more than 1,000 members of the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang have infiltrated the United States and have been given the “green light” to attack and open fire on law enforcement officers.

The United States has witnessed a dramatic surge in illegal immigration, facilitated by the Biden-Harris administration’s open-borders policies. Tren de Aragua, taking full advantage of these policies, has been sending its gang members to the United States disguised as asylum seekers. In FY 2020, there were just 4,250 Venezuelans encountered by CBP. That figure skyrocketed to 334,914 in FY 2023. Additionally, many gang members are likely among the estimated 1.8 million known gotaways who have successfully evaded capture, and typically have good reason to.

The gang’s presence in the U.S. has already been tied to numerous crimes, including the shooting of two NYPD officers attempting to arrest one of its members. A federal memo obtained by the New York Post details credible intelligence from Colorado, indicating that Tren de Aragua has sanctioned attacks on law enforcement officers in Denver. This information, corroborated by the Albuquerque Police Department, shows the growing threat this gang poses to public safety.

Denver has been inundated with 42,000 migrants, many of whom are from Venezuela. Tren de Aragua members who have crossed the southern border have worked to establish a foothold in major U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, Miami, and Denver, where they allegedly engage in money laundering, gun smuggling, theft, and human trafficking.

U.S. Border Patrol only began tracking the group last year, so it has only caught 70 of its members trying to enter the country, and many members continue to evade detection by avoiding gang tattoos and other identifiers. A Border Patrol source described the situation as “far too easy for criminals to enter the U.S.,” emphasizing the lack of access to other nations’ criminal databases and the administration’s failure to deter these criminals. “We have zero access to other nations’ criminal databases and with this administration’s uselessness in deterring these criminals, they will keep entering undetected,” the source added.

The administration recently designated Tren de Aragua a transnational criminal organization and has offered a $12 million reward for the arrest of its leaders. However, this action is too little, too late. The gang is already inside the U.S. and the country is on track for the second-worst year of illegal immigration in the nation’s history, with Venezuelans sure to make up a significant part of that number.

The gang has already been the subject of more than 100 criminal investigations by federal authorities. One particularly disturbing case involves 19-year-old Venezuelan migrant Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, who is accused of shooting two NYPD officers. After illegally crossing the border into Texas, Castro Mata was recruited by Tren de Aragua’s New York coordinator and encouraged to get gang tattoos to prove his allegiance. He also revealed that the gang has been able to smuggle guns into New York City’s migrant shelters by hiding them in food delivery bags.

To make matters worse, a new Fox News report says the gang is becoming increasingly more organized and brazen as it spreads across the U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) describes Tren de Aragua as “MS-13 on steroids.” Venezuela is also refusing to accept Tren de Aragua members back into the country once they leave, making the U.S. a perfect target.

The stark reality is that our nation’s security and the safety of our law enforcement officers are being compromised by the criminals exploiting our porous borders. And it’s important to point out who exactly is to blame for this. The Biden-Harris administration has allowed a surge in illegal aliens from Venezuela due to policies like catch-and-release, the illegal and fraud-ridden CHNV parole program and Temporary Protected Status. If the Biden-Harris administration cares about the safety of Americans, it should end these pull factors.