Rapid expansion of Tren de Aragua in the US linked to 100 cases

Lauren Taylor: A NOTORIOUS VENEZUELAN GANG — HAS RAPIDLY EXPAND ITS CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES TO THE UNITED STATES — AND HAS RAISED ALERT TO U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT. ORIGINALLY KNOWN FOR ITS BRUTAL TACTICS IN LATIN AMERICA — THE TREN DE ARAGUA GANG IS NOW INVOLVED IN APPROXIMATELY 100 CRIMINAL CASES IN THE U.S.

U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIALS REPORT THAT THE GANG HAS RAPIDLY EXPAND ITS PRESENCE FROM ITS FIRST SIGHTINGS IN TEXAS TO OTHER REGIONS OF THE U.S. ONCE THINKED LIMITED TO LATIN AMERICA — WHERE IT WAS KNOWN FOR ITS BRUTAL TACTICS AND EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL NETWORKS — TREN DE ARAGUA HAS EVOLVED INTO A SIGNIFICANT TRANSNATIONAL THREAT — A GROWING CONCERN FOR U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT.

BORN IN A VENEZUELAN PRISON — THE GANG CAME TO POWER — AND OPERATED UNUSUAL LUXURIES LIKE A ZOO AND DISCO INSIDE PRISON WALLS. IN LESS THAN A DECADE — IT DEVELOPED INTO A MAJOR TRANSNATIONAL CRIME ORGANIZATION ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS DRUG TRAFFICKING — ROBBERY — AND EXTORTION — PARTICULARLY PREYING ON VULNERABLE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES.

THE GROUP HAS COMMITTED HIGH-GRADE CRIMES SUCH AS SHOOTINGS AND TARGETTING POLICE OFFICERS, AND HAS BROUGHT ITS BRUTAL VIOLENCE MORE TO PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE US.

TREN DE ARAGUA’S PRESENCE IN THE U.S. HAS RAISED FEARS THAT IT COULD REPLICA THE CONCERN IT’S CAUSING IN LATIN AMERICA — AND ITS SEEMINGLY SOPHISTICATED CRIMINAL TACTICS ARE CREATING MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. GANG MEMBERS HAVE BEEN LINKED TO HIGH-SCOPE CRIMES INCLUDING THE SHOOTING OF TWO NYPD OFFICERS AND THE MURDER OF A FORMER VENEZUELAN POLICE OFFICER IN SOUTH FLORIDA.

IN RESPONSE TO THE INCREASING THREAT — THE U.S. TREASURY IMPOSED SANCTIONS ON THE GANG IN JULY — WHILE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OFFERED REWARDS TOTALING $12 MILLION FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST OF THE GANG’S LEADERS.

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