The Department of Homeland Security has identified more than 600 immigrants living in the United States who may have ties to the violent Venezuelan prison gang Torren de Aragua, according to chilling new data.
Approximately 100 of the 600 “persons of interest” have been confirmed to be members of Torren de Aragua, and have been recommended by the Department of Homeland Security to be placed on the FBI's watch list. According to NBCsome disturbing numbers were obtained.
The remaining 500 were victims, witnesses or other members of the gang, officials said.
Torren de Aragua has been confirmed to exist in 15 states, including New York City, and may be present in eight other states, according to the report.
Authorities began collecting data on the gang after noticing a spike in crimes committed by its members in U.S. cities, including the Big Apple. The crimes include sex trafficking in Louisiana and the point-blank shooting deaths of two New York City police officers, according to the report.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested more than 100 people for suspected ties to the TDA since October 2022, according to data. An additional 75 people were arrested for immigration violations, and more than 20 were referred to federal prosecutors.
But law enforcement experts say the data points to an information gap about the gang's presence in the United States, as the Venezuelan government does not share criminal records or other information about immigrants with the United States.
“That number is almost disturbingly low,” said Frank Figliuzzi, former FBI deputy director for counterintelligence and NBC News contributor. “It should be higher.”
A lack of information shared by the Venezuelan side also makes it more difficult for Border Patrol agents to determine who among the Venezuelan migrants are TDA members.
