Article Out Loud – Tren de Aragua: from prison gang to transnational organized crime syndicate in the US

Anthony (Tony) Mottola, Ph.D., has more than 35 years of experience in law enforcement and security, including the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Air Force, and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He retired as a Detective Sergeant (SDS) after 25 years as a member of the New York Police Department (NYPD). He served as executive officer for the NYPD Intelligence Bureau’s Strategic Unit, a classified counterterrorism initiative, and director of the Domestic Liaison Program. He has represented the Intelligence Bureau in numerous investigations, including the Boston bombing, civil unrest, mass shootings and large-scale incidents outside New York City. During his tenure with the NYPD, he worked on additional assignments in Counter Terrorism, Gang Intelligence, Detective Bureau, Task Force, Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit, anti-gang/graffiti units, and patrol. He was a first responder/search leader for recovery efforts and security data monitor in the immediate aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. Dr. Mottola has conducted extensive research on human trafficking, labor trafficking, border operations, and transnational organized crime. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Homeland Security at the University of Tennessee-Southern.