Former DEA agent, Wes Tabor, has been receiving numerous calls from police departments across the United States seeking advice on how to combat the growing threat posed by the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua. When Tabor was in charge of the DEA’s office in Caracas in 2012, the gang was relatively unknown. Venezuela, with its history as a prominent cocaine transit zone, had a leftist government with close ties to countries like Iran and Russia. Initially, the street gang was not considered a significant security risk to the United States despite being a concern for U.S. Embassy personnel in Caracas.
Over a decade later, Tren de Aragua has evolved into a serious menace even on American soil, attracting attention during the U.S. presidential campaign due to a surge in kidnappings, extortion, and other crimes across the western hemisphere associated with the mass migration of Venezuelan nationals. Wes Tabor, now retired from the DEA, highlights the gang’s unprecedented level of violence and aggressiveness as distinguishing features. The gang operated without significant law enforcement confrontation until recently.
The Biden administration imposed sanctions on Tren de Aragua, designating it as a transnational criminal organization alongside notorious groups like MS-13 and the Camorra. Subsequently, Texas Governor Greg Abbott labeled Tren de Aragua as a Tier 1 threat, instructing state police to target the gang and enforce stricter penalties on its members. Similar actions may soon follow in other states to curb the gang’s activities.
The gang garnered increased attention in the U.S. following the circulation of security camera footage showing a group of heavily armed men brazenly entering an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, leading former President Donald Trump to make controversial statements about Venezuelans in the area. While some reports have been deemed exaggerated, police investigations have linked Tren de Aragua members to various crimes, including a homicide in July.
Tren de Aragua, meaning “train” in Spanish, originated over a decade ago in a lawless prison in the Aragua state, attracting hardened criminals. As Venezuela’s economic crisis drove millions to flee the country, the gang expanded its operations, with founders like Hector Guerrero, also known as El Nino, playing pivotal roles. Authorities in countries with significant Venezuelan migrant populations have accused the gang of perpetrating violent acts, inducing fear, extorting locals, and engaging in criminal activities.
In the U.S., concerns are mounting over the gang’s violent tactics infiltrating Venezuelan migrant populations. Republican lawmakers, led by Senator Marco Rubio, have called for a coordinated strategy from the Biden administration to combat Tren de Aragua. Venezuelan officials have expressed bewilderment at the international attention the gang has attracted, with assertions from President Maduro’s government that the gang was dismantled and claims of it being a media-created fiction.
As the issue gains prominence in the U.S., Venezuelan officials have also linked the gang to alleged plots backed by the U.S. and the opposition to destabilize the country, emphasizing the need for vigilance in combating criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua.
