Charges Against TDA Members Highlight Border Policy Issues

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed that the ongoing issues stemming from former President Joe Biden’s “open borders” policy need to be addressed. This comes as the Justice Department announced new kidnapping and murder charges against eight individuals tied to the foreign terrorist organization Torren de Aragua (TDA).

According to Blanche, all eight indicted members “crossed the southern border illegally” and entered the U.S. during the Biden administration from December 2021 to April 2024.

In a disturbing incident, four men were involved in the murder of a father and the kidnapping of his 13-year-old daughter and 12-year-old nephew in the Dallas area. Five individuals associated with the TDA have been charged in connection to this event. Additionally, in Chicago, three suspected TDA members face charges related to a kidnapping and severe assault that culminated in the victim being shot multiple times.

Blanche remarked, “None of these men should have been in this country. The father in Texas should still be alive. His daughter and nephew should never have been kidnapped. The young victim in Chicago should also still be alive.” He emphasized that these violent acts occurred due to the lenience of the current border policy, allowing suspected terrorists to enter the nation.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould, detailed that on August 24, 2024, TDA members kidnapped a Dallas-area man and two children during the night. The victims were restrained with zip ties as the gang demanded money, and when they realized the man could not pay, they stopped their vehicle and ordered him to jump off a bridge.

When he refused and attempted to escape, they executed him in front of the children, Raybould stated.

The individuals charged in the Dallas incident include Hector García Zuniga, known as “Murray,” along with Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, Johnny Jesús Serrano, Yonatan Toro González, and Ehiquel Mendoza. García Zúñiga is noted to be a high-ranking TDA member facing numerous charges including extortion and murder.

Reports indicate that the victim in this case was identified as 33-year-old Nirzurt Arnaud Petit. He and his children were forcibly taken from their apartment, but the children were later discovered unharmed.

Meanwhile, in the Chicago case, the victim, an 18-year-old named Cristian Jose Rojas Barrios, was abducted from a park. Authorities revealed he was held in an apartment for several hours, where he was ultimately shot multiple times.

The circumstances surrounding these violent acts, such as the victim being shot and left in an abandoned building, underline the brutality associated with the TDA. U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutras pointed out how ruthless the gang is by mentioning a call made to the victim’s mother informing her of where to locate her son’s body.

Torren de Aragua, a violent transnational criminal organization, originated in Venezuela during the regime of Nicolás Maduro. Following an operation orchestrated by President Donald Trump to unseat Maduro, Trump also designated the TDA as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

Since then, about 350 TDA members have faced charges for various violent crimes, including murder and trafficking. Blanche noted that there has also been a significant increase in arrests linked to gang activities since Trump’s return to office, with the FBI reporting a 519% rise in arrests specifically related to the TDA.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Biden’s representatives for commentary regarding these recent developments.