SEATTLE - Mexican law enforcement officials in the border state of Chihuaha continue to see a large number of potential gang members passing through on their way to the U.S. Authorities say the people, who they believe are members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan-born criminal organization, are using the El Paso, Texas-Juarez, Mexico corridor to enter the United States illegally.
Designated as a transnational criminal organization by the U.S. Treasury Department last month, Tren de Aragua is known for engaging in criminal activities for profit such as human smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering and gender-based violence.
As encounters continue to rise, Mexican border authorities remain on high alert. Although no murders or other acts of extreme violence have been reported locally, Loya said that the members have been linked to three homicides in Central Mexico, allegedly killing two women as well as one of their own gang members. "It is something that has set off (red) lights," Loya said. "These people who lost their lives were possibly killed by Tren de Aragua.
In an attempt to combat the gang, Chihuahua's government invited a Chilean gang expert to brief its police commanders on the tactics used by Tren de Aragua members to infiltrate countries outside of Venezuela.
"They come in by networking with smaller local groups," Loya said. "They keep a low profile – and this is important – because by the time authorities realize this, they are already there and not detected until caught committing a crime."
The criminal group has recently expanded to other South American countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Chile.
As reported by The Latin Times, the number of kidnappings in Chile soared by 135% over the last decade, with the sharpest increase occurring between 2021 and 2022. This coincided with Tren de Aragua establishing a foothold in the country.
Members of Tren de Aragua have been accused of committing violent crimes all across the United States in recent months, including the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley in March and the shooting of two NYPD cops during an arrest in June.
According to law enforcement documents and prosecutors' complaints, there are more than 70 cases in which Tren de Aragua is mentioned.
From that total, Customs and Border Patrol in Texas identified 58 as gang members between the fiscal year of 2023 and last May. The rest of the total appears in complaints made by victims or arrest reports that point to the possible involvement of the suspects with the transnational criminal organization.
Last month, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the criminal organization, making it easier to freeze assets and restrict their travel as well as prompting U.S. federal agencies to prioritize the threat posed by Tren de Aragua.
"We will deploy all tools and authorities against organizations like Tren de Aragua that prey on vulnerable populations to generate revenue, engage in a range of criminal activities across borders, and abuse the U.S. financial system," the U.S. Treasury's Brian Nelson said in a statement.
The U.S. State Department is also offering up to $12 million in rewards for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Tren de Aragua leaders.
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