Border patrol officials have made Venezuelan street gangs a priority target after a surge in gang activity in states including Texas and Colorado and members engaged in a range of crimes across the country.
Authorities told Fox News that not only was Tren de Aragua an increased threat, but that they were “priority targeting” it, after multiple warnings about the bloodthirsty gang's presence in the US.
Fox News Digital reported in July that authorities had warned that the TdA had given the group “permission” to shoot and attack police in Denver, Colorado. Border Patrol officials had previously warned that the gang was a threat to the local community.
Colorado city takes action after video of Venezuelan armed gang shared by local authorities goes viral
Men allegedly members of the Tren de Aragua gang took over an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, and demanded rent in exchange for security. (Edward Romero)
Fox previously reported that CBP distributed intelligence bulletins to agents revealing the gang's tattoos and identities. TdA is said to specialize in extortion, kidnapping, murder and sex trafficking. Federal authorities have warned that the gang is seeking to establish itself in the U.S., and police have already linked it to organized crime. The FBI has also warned that the gang may be aligning with MS-13.
The gang recently gained attention after a video went viral showing gang members carrying guns breaking into an apartment in Denver, and four more people were arrested in Aurora this week in connection with a shooting at an apartment in July.
Dallas, Texas, police told Fox News that they had seen gang activity linked to TdA in the north Dallas area.
Colorado city councilman responds to governor's dismissal of armed gang takeover as 'imagination'
“Our department is working with other agencies to address crimes that may be related to this gang and other gangs across the city. We are committed to preventing criminal activity in our community and ensuring the safety of our residents,” Officer Michael Dennis with the Dallas Police Department told Fox.
The gang is also allegedly behind the shooting deaths of two New York Police Department officers in June, and drew further attention when it was revealed that the killer was the brother of a suspect in the murder of a student in Georgia. Laken Riley He had gang ties.
The rise of the gangs has been linked to a three-year crisis on the southern border, during which huge numbers of Venezuelans have been forced to cross into the U.S. and released into the country. While the number of encounters at the border has dropped significantly in recent months, the effects of the crisis are still being felt and are likely to be a top issue on the November ballot.
For more coverage on the border security crisis, click here
Recently, the Treasury Department designated Tren de Aragua a major international criminal organization and offered financial rewards for the conviction of three of its leaders.
“Tren de Aragua uses a transnational trafficking network to traffic people, particularly migrant women and girls, across borders for sex trafficking and debt slavery,” the Treasury Department said in a statement at the time. “Tren de Aragua members often murder women and girls and publicize their deaths as a threat to others.”
In April, FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the bureau was pursuing the gang.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“We certainly are going after a specific gang, which we call TdA. We have Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Forces in all 56 district offices that focus exclusively on gangs and other similar violent criminal organizations,” he told lawmakers.
Fox News' Michael Lee and Jasmine Bair contributed to this report.
