Reports of alleged Tren de Aragua activity have quickly spread throughout the country during the past months. The gang, which is officially considered a transnational criminal organization in the U.S., has taken advantage of large-scale Venezuelan migration to extend its reach across South America and now the United States as well.
Authorities detailed that the gang counts with a known presence in 15 states and a possible presence in eight others. And the Department of Homeland Security recently identified more than 600 migrants in the U.S. who may have connections to the Venezuelan gang.
DHS data says that roughly 100 of the 600 suspects DHS has deemed as "subjects of interest" were confirmed members of Tren de Aragua while also being placed on an FBI watchlist. The others could be victims, witnesses or members of the gang.
Government agencies began working to compile data on Tren de Aragua this spring, according to an NBC News report, after they saw a spike in crime by gang members in New York, Texas and elsewhere.
A spokesperson with DHS said in a statement that the agency has an "ongoing operation to crack down on gang members through re-screening certain individuals previously encountered, in addition to the rigorous screening and vetting at the border." It added that if any individual was confirmed or suspected to be a gang member, they would be referred for criminal prosecution or detained and placed into expedited removal.
U.S. officials cannot confirm real Tren de Aragua numbers
Despite its status as a transnational criminal organization, U.S. officials face an enormous challenge determining the exact number of Tren de Aragua members who have crossed into the United States, as Venezuela does not share its criminal histories or other information with its American counterparts.
Law enforcement experts say the figure of 600 suspects illustrates the gap in intelligence about the gang's presence in the country due to the lack of information provided by the Venezuelan government.
"The number is almost disturbingly low," said Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence. "It should be higher," he added.
Arresting Tren de Aragua members
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials (ICE) have arrested more than 100 people suspected of having Tren de Aragua links in connection with crimes since October 2022. On top of that, 75 individuals have been arrested for immigration violations and more than 20 have been referred for federal prosecution.
The information obtained by NBC News showed that fewer than 30 of the 600 subjects of interest are in ICE custody.
A DHS official said that many of the suspects have not been detained by ICE because they are in custody of other law enforcement organizations. The official also said that ICE just may not know where they are located or that their connections to Tren de Aragua or crimes may not be yet confirmed.
Detaining Venezuelan nationals has its complications
In the U.S., Venezuelan nationals can be released from custody if they have served their time. But because the South American nation does not take back nationals who have emigrated to the U.S., ICE has to release them as a federal court ruling bars the government from detaining migrants for an indefinite period of time.
Although, if a migrant in ICE custody is deemed to be a true risk to public safety, the agency will find a way to keep the person detained, even if it is by another law enforcement organization.
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