Ankle Monitor Wearer With Deportation Order Leads Authorities To Tren de Aragua Gang House In NYC: 'Better Late Than Never'

Federal agents arrested seven suspected members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang after a on a NYC apartment, relying on an ankle monitor worn by one of the suspects. The operation was conducted by a federal task force that included Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD.

Among those arrested was 28-year-old Venezuelan national Jarwin Valero-Calderon, whose court-ordered monitoring device led authorities to the hideout. Valero-Calderon has a history of arrests, including multiple charges for larceny in New York and New Jersey and a prior deportation order. Despite his record, he had remained free and evaded mandatory check-ins with immigration authorities. "Better late than never," a law enforcement officer told the New York Post while wondering why Valero-Calderon remained free after repeated arrests.

Tren de Aragua, which evolved from a prison gang into a transnational criminal network over the past years, has taken advantage of large-scale Venezuelan migration since 2018 to extend its reach across South America, establishing footholds in Colombia, Peru, and Chile. Now, there are growing signs of their presence in different parts of the United States.

Tren de Aragua members are not easily identifiable. Unlike some gangs, they do not consistently use tattoos or other distinctive markings to signal affiliation. Although law enforcement officials in various countries have linked certain tattoos—such as rifles or Michael Jordan logos—to the gang, members do not consistently use tattoos as a form of identification.

Law enforcement sources allege that the gang has recruited individuals from migrant shelters and is involved in drug and weapons trafficking, human trafficking, and organized theft across the five boroughs.

Several of those arrested in the Bronx were wanted on multiple warrants for crimes committed after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, 24, faced at least four arrests in New York and South Carolina for grand larceny, reckless endangerment, and shoplifting. Another suspect, 30-year-old Jesus Manuel Quintero Granado, had been denied asylum in Canada and subsequently arrested multiple times in New York and New Jersey on theft charges.

Angel Gabriel Marquez Rodriguez, 19, and Fernandez Franco Greymer De Dios, 21, were also among those detained. Rodriguez had been arrested on shoplifting and larceny charges in Chicago and New York City, while De Dios had been marked for deportation but disappeared after his release pending a court date.

Authorities claim that Tren de Aragua's activities extend beyond adult members. The gang's juvenile offshoot, known as "Diablos de la 42," has reportedly carried out thefts in Times Square, exploiting New York's criminal justice system to remain on the streets.

The lack of cooperation between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities further complicates efforts to vet suspected gang members entering the U.S., leaving border agents with limited resources to verify individuals' backgrounds.

In recent months, reports of alleged Tren de Aragua activity have emerged in at least ten U.S. states, including Texas, Colorado, New York, and Illinois.