Tren de Aragua threat must be taken ‘very seriously,’ California undersheriff says

SANTEE, California. — At City Hall, near the foothills surrounding the border city of Santee, California, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) led a House Judiciary Committee hearing to discuss the impact of the immigration crisis on the Golden State, where many non-Central Americans have entered the United States illegally.

California was initially spared from record numbers of illegal border crossings at the start of the Biden-Harris administration, but as time went on, people from countries like China reportedly began taking advantage of the country’s open border. Now, years after the crisis began, international gangs unknown in the United States before 2021 have set up shop in multiple cities across the country.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Don Sharp testified that his department is working hard to crack down on human and drug trafficking that has eluded Border Patrol, even though his county is not right on the border like San Diego County.

“We try to stop these people so that we can get ahead of them.”

“In Riverside County alone, our narcotics unit seized 359 pounds of fentanyl and over 2.3 million fentanyl pills in 2023. … What did we miss? We know we missed a lot,” Sharp lamented, noting that his officers respond to fentanyl overdose cases every day.

Sharp confirmed that since Border Patrol was no longer tasked with processing and guarding illegal immigrants who turn themselves in, drug trafficking and human trafficking have increased.

Sharp told Blaze News that the threat from gangs like Tren de Aragua is real and should be taken “very seriously.” The Venezuelan gang has made national news again in recent days, this time for terrorizing apartment residents in Aurora, Colorado.

“These groups are basically creating a hub for themselves, like they do with these apartment complexes. They have a place where they can target people and go and police the area. … We’re trying to intercept these people … to get ahead of them before they get to these locations across the country,” Sharp said.

“There are several committees in Congress that are looking into how to undo the damage. In the case of Venezuela, it is almost impossible for us to get Venezuelan cooperation. However, all of these individuals who are now operating in the United States came through Mexico. It is possible to have Mexico stop this. It is even possible to deport people who were allowed to travel through Mexico inappropriately to Mexico,” Issa explained.

The arrival of the South American gang in places like Colorado, Illinois and Florida has put police on high alert, even as local authorities in the case of Aurora downplay the threat.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) in 2023 praised the Biden-Harris administration for expanding protections for Venezuelans residing in the U.S. because they are seeking “a better life in America and can now contribute to our economy and fill much-needed jobs.”

“They have been involved in numerous crimes throughout the country from robberies, muggings, assaults, sex crimes, extortion and murder. Some may claim that (Tren de Aragua) is responsible for a small percentage of violent crimes, but the fact is there should be NO crimes against the public as this gang should not have been allowed to expand their presence in the U.S. due to the catch (and) release policy,” Lt. Chris Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety said on X.

“One victim is one too many, one life lost at the hands of this criminal gang is unforgivable.”

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