OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:32 PM – Thursday, August 1, 2024
A government memo obtained by a number of outlets stated that members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua have been given the “green light” to attack and shoot police officers in Denver, Colorado, as well as other major cities that its members have infiltrated after illegally crossing the border while posing as asylum seekers.
CNN described the gang as a “multistate human trafficking ring” that forces vulnerable immigrant women and minors into prostitution.
Hundreds of violent crimes have already been connected to the gang just this year, including the June shooting deaths of two NYPD officers who were attempting to apprehend one of its members.
“Credible human sources from Colorado provided information on TdA [Tren de Aragua] giving a ‘green light’ to fire on or attack law enforcement,” the Homeland Security Investigations memo stated.
“As you may know, we have a TdA presence here in Chicago, so please be vigilant as you encounter TdA members or affiliates during your investigative and operational activities.”
“Credible human sources from Colorado provided” the intelligence information from the Albuquerque Police Department.
Denver has taken in 42,000 illegal foreign nationals, more than any other U.S. city per capita, and a large majority of them are from Venezuela.
The gang entered the U.S. by sending members posing as asylum seekers across the Southern border. The group’s name, which refers to the Aragua province of Venezuela, is “The Aragua Train.”
According to reports, its members have also since moved to other major U.S. cities, like New York, Chicago, Miami, and more, where they are involved in illegal activities like theft, human trafficking, gun smuggling, and money laundering.
Official records state that the U.S. Border Patrol only started tracking the gang’s members last year and has already apprehended at least 70 of them after they were arrested for violent crimes.
However, because its younger members are now careful not to get gang tattoos or other identifiers in order to stay under the radar, many are evading law enforcement at the border and its vetting procedures, sources told reporters.
“We have zero access to other nations’ criminal databases, and with this administration’s uselessness in deterring these criminals, they will keep entering undetected,” said an insider who works with the U.S. Border Patrol.
NBC News also reported that federal officials have launched over 100 criminal investigations into the gang.
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