Tren de Aragua gang poses growing threat to US cities

By Dr. Jarrod Sadulski
Faculty Member, Criminal Law

and Alicia Hopper
Researcher, Sadulski Enterprises, LLC

The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (“Aragua Train”) is a growing threat to the United States. Although classified as a transnational criminal organization, the gang operates as a terrorist group. Its members commit violence, kidnappings, and assassinations to exert their influence.

Why is Tren de Aragua so dangerous?

According to News Nation, Tren de Aragua has been called “MS-13 on steroids” due to the group’s organization and violent actions. News Nation also reports that Tren de Aragua leaders have given their members permission to open fire on law enforcement officers in the U.S.

Members of Tren de Aragua took over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, at gunpoint and forced the landlord to sell the property, the New York Post reported. Tren de Aragua has taken over more than one apartment complex in Aurora, and authorities are investigating Tren de Aragua in more than 100 criminal cases in at least five states.

Tren de Aragua is involved in human trafficking, kidnapping, drug trafficking, murder and organized retail crime. The gang is present in several countries in South America and has connections with the Maduro regime in Venezuela.

Often, members of Tren de Aragua evade detection. When they cross the U.S. border, there is no way for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to know they are part of this violent gang.

Gang members then seek refuge in Venezuelan communities in U.S. cities. They use fear and violent acts to prevent others from reporting their presence, and they mingle with the millions of Venezuelan migrants who have come to the U.S. Many people in U.S.-Venezuelan communities do not report gang members’ criminal activity due to fear of reprisals and immigration problems.

Interview with an expert on Tren de Aragua

We interviewed Ammon Blair of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, an expert on Tren de Aragua. He explained that members of Tren de Aragua have exploited the chaos on our southern border and the current administration’s “Lawful Pathways” programs to infiltrate the U.S.

The challenge for CBP and U.S. law enforcement agencies is compounded by the difficulty of obtaining criminal records on illegal aliens from Venezuela. The only way to obtain these records is through Interpol data or through records relating to prior criminal activity in the United States.

One method of detecting gang members is to recognize specific tattoos used by the Tren de Aragua gang. Mr. Blair explained that some common tattoos contain references to Michael Jordan, such as his image or the number 23. This number refers to the “23 de Enero” neighborhood in Venezuela, the birthplace of a revolutionary group in the 1980s.

Mr. Blair added that gang members also use train-themed tattoos (a reference to the gang’s name), which are believed to be linked to a union that worked on a rail project in Aragua, Venezuela. However, members often hide their tattoos or get them after they enter the U.S. to avoid detection by CBP.

Reports indicate that Tren de Aragua operates under the influence of the Venezuelan regime. Their activities are coordinated by Venezuela’s military intelligence, Cartel of the Suns and Cuban intelligence.

An interview with a former Sinaloa cartel partner

We also interviewed a former Sinaloa Cartel affiliate and gang member from Southern California who gave us a lot of insight into Tren de Aragua. Tren de Aragua is known for working with the Sinaloa Cartel and other transnational criminal organizations in drug trafficking and human trafficking.

The former cartel partner explained that “members of Tren de Aragua are terrorists. They are contract killers and they want to establish themselves in prisons in the United States. They are given the green light by all the gangs in Southern California to prevent their rapid expansion of criminal activities and in the prisons.”

“Greenlighted” refers to gang leaders issuing a mandate to kill Tren de Aragua members. Increased violence against Tren de Aragua by these gangs is to be expected.

Some gangs and cartels like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel have rules and mandates that their members follow. There is order within their operations through their leadership.

For example, certain gangs and cartels are told by their leaders not to harm women and children. Others, like Tren de Aragua, seem to have no compliance or rules within their ranks, making them more dangerous. Members of gangs like Tren de Aragua act without waiting for approval from leadership, which can provoke violence against anyone who gets in their way.

Efforts are underway to stop the expansion of the Tren de Aragua

There is an attempt to downplay the expansion of Tren de Aragua in the United States. But at the same time, the US government is working to combat the activities of Tren de Aragua.

For example, in September of last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established a Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit with Peru to counter Tren de Aragua. In addition, the U.S. government is working to have Tren de Aragua designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization, which would give Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal law enforcement agencies more power to combat the gang’s criminal activities.

About the authors

Doctor Jarrod Sadulski is an associate professor in the School of Security and Global Studies and has more than two decades of experience in the field of criminal justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Thomas Edison State College, a master’s degree in criminal justice from American Military University, and a Ph.D. in criminal justice from Northcentral University.

His expertise includes training in anti-trafficking, maritime security, mitigating organized crime, and drug trafficking trends in Latin America. He has also testified before both the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate on human trafficking and child exploitation. He has been recognized by the U.S. Senate as an expert on human trafficking.

Jarrod regularly conducts in-country research and consultancy work in Central and South America on human trafficking and current drug trafficking trends. He also has a background in business development. For more information about Jarrod and links to his social media and website or to contact him, visit https://linktr.ee/jarrodsadulski.

Alicia (Ali) Hopper holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and a paralegal certificate in intellectual property law. Ali works to combat human trafficking through rigorous research and data collection. She gathers information from a variety of sources and uses thematic analysis to identify emerging and critical trends in human trafficking.

Ali is a member of a renowned investigative team that has provided testimony and advice to both the U.S. Senate and Congress. She has conducted research with Jarrod on the southwest border on human trafficking and has seen firsthand the impact of human trafficking and smuggling.

Ali travels the country sharing her insights and findings on human trafficking, presenting the most pressing issues in the field. She collects data from incarcerated former sex traffickers in the U.S. and internationally, and engages directly with trafficking survivors to deepen her understanding of the problem and develop effective mitigation strategies.

With her expertise, Ali is a leading voice in the fight against human trafficking, bringing crucial information and perspectives to policymakers and the public. For more information about Ali and links to her social media and website, visit https://linktr.ee/alihopper.