Individuals with ties to Tren de Aragua, a violent gang hailing from Venezuela, are spreading across the United States. In a recent report, a man with alleged ties to the gang was arrested on Friday in South Florida. With incidents involving Tren de Aragua making headlines across the country, Florida and Texas are making efforts to curb any influence the gang could develop.
Last Friday, officers arrested a man with ties to the gang after an incident that took place at Dolphin Mall.
A man approached an off-duty officer at the mall, telling him that three men wanted to attack him. When the officer further investigated the matter, the man in question pushed the officer and ran away according to a report. Though he attempted to enter a car, another officer tased him, which led to the arrest.
Officers investigated the man’s belongings, finding two Nike bags with merchandise amounting to over $1,100 with no receipts.
According to the police, the man in custody has a tattoo that identifies him as a member of the street gang, and he had previously been in Chicago with an ankle monitor that had been issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but the man removed it and moved to South Florida.
The arrest comes at a time when reports indicate that members of the gang are recruiting children from migrant families.
According to a report from CBS News, the gang is recruiting children who live in migrant shelters, and the members have since begun to blend in with asylum seekers who arrived in New York in 2022.
Responding to the report, Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) blamed the incumbent president, writing that "this chaos is the result of Biden's reckless border policies" and calling on lawmakers to "rid our communities of this threat."
Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has invaded major U.S. cities & is now recruiting migrant children to amplify their crimes.
This chaos is the result of Biden's reckless border policies. We must rid our communities of this threat.https://t.co/w4rmQjMCuB
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) November 25, 2024
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has similarly addressed the "growing threat" that Tren de Aragua poses on the Lone Star state. Calling Texas a "law and order state," he affirmed that law enforcement will have the necessary tools to combat the gang at every turn.
Texas is defending our state—and our nation—from dangerous threats posed by Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
We’re going after these thugs. They have a target on their backs. pic.twitter.com/Zt4fZDQLw1
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 24, 2024
