Exclusive: The nonprofit organization America First Legal (AFL) launched an investigation into the Biden-Harris administration on Thursday in response to “increased violent activity by illegal immigrant gangs” across Colorado and parts of the Midwest.
The investigation was initiated by America First Legal with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The freedom of information request by America First Legal came shortly after security footage from an occupied apartment went viral late last month, leading to the arrest of 10 members of the Tren de Aragua gang in Aurora, Colorado.
Aurora police arrest 10 members of Tren de Aragua in connection with apartment takeover: statement
In its investigative report, the AFL cited the “reckless” immigration policy of the Biden-Harris administration and said, “If the southern border was secure, these gang members would not exist.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration's deliberate decision to open our borders to the world has allowed violent Venezuelan gangs to run rampant in American communities,” said Jean Hamilton, executive director of America First Legal.
“The crimes committed by these aliens are, by definition, preventable, yet this administration has decided to ignore public safety and prioritize the importation of hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens.”
The Venezuela-based international prison gang Tren de Aragua is allegedly involved in human trafficking, illegal drug trafficking and gun racketeering, and is reported to have around 5,000 members.
America First Legal's investigation focuses on Aurora, Colorado, as well as parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, where TdA activity has been documented.
Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua takes over Texas hotel, county moves to shut it down
Their Freedom of Information Act requests date back to Jan. 21, 2021, the first day of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's inauguration.
Harris was initially touted as Biden's “border secretary,” but has distanced herself from that role since becoming the Democratic nominee.
The suspects, alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang, were involved in illegal activities including illegal dumping and drug use, according to the El Paso County Prosecutor's Office. (KFOX14/El Paso County Attorney's Office)
“If Border Patrol Officer Harris was serious about eliminating the threat of foreign gangs in the United States, she would secure the border and remove illegal immigrants from the country. That's it,” said Jean Hamilton, executive director of America First Legal.
In February 2021, Kamala Harris was appointed by Joe Biden to head the “Root Causes Strategy,” saying the administration was ready to address the reasons why people in Central American countries were being forced to flee to the United States. March this yearThe White House supported the plan and Harris' leadership.
One resident said the apartment had been completely taken over by suspected gang members and the locks had been changed. (Councillor Daniel Jurinski)
According to the House Homeland Security Committee, there have been 9.5 million encounters with illegal immigrants since President Biden took office in 2021. Of those, about 1.7 million were “fugitives,” meaning people who remain in the U.S. illegally.
Two of the Tren de Aragua gang members with records of being arrested in Aurora were released despite a request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Colorado to detain them.
Tren de Aragua gang activity has also been monitored recently in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where 26-year-old Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate was arrested last week on domestic violence charges after he was found to be in possession of false immigration documents and a forged U.S. Social Security card.
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Tren de Aragua's criminal operations may extend to five states, including Illinois and Texas.
