US Government Alleges Venezuelan Gang Activity on Homelands

AURORA, Colorado — On February 20, 2025, following a comprehensive investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that several individuals apprehended in Colorado are believed to be members of Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan gang.

Reports indicate that this gang has increasingly set up operations in various U.S. states, including Colorado. Fox News previously covered an incident involving alleged members in an apartment building in Aurora, highlighting growing concerns about their presence.

According to the U.S. State Department, Tren de Aragua has been involved in numerous campaigns of violence and terror, part of an ongoing effort to combat international cartels and transnational organizations. However, substantial reliable data regarding the gang’s activities remains scarce.

Researchers specializing in Latin American studies, who have been examining the socio-economic implications of crime in Venezuela for over three decades, argue that U.S. immigration policies could inadvertently strengthen the Tren de Aragua gang. Their studies indicate parallels drawn with the responses to gang violence in El Salvador and Honduras which led to increased gang proliferation.

Initially founded in 2014 by Hector “El Niño” Guerrero while imprisoned in Tocorón Prison in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua has transformed into one of the country’s most prominent organized criminal factions. By 2017, it was classified as a “megabanda” by local media — a term used in Venezuela to describe large, organized crime groups.

Historically, Tren de Aragua gained leverage through extortion and the sale of street drugs, flourishing amidst broader socio-political instability that has characterized Venezuela under successive administrations of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. As economic conditions deteriorated, so too did the effectiveness of law enforcement, leading to increased incarceration rates among impoverished youth.

Within the confines of Tocorón, gang members developed intricate hierarchies and began profiting from a variety of enterprises. These included charging fees for essentials like food and protection from violence inside the prison system.

As Venezuela’s socio-economic conditions eroded, so did the country’s capacity to manage criminal enterprises. This allowed groups like Tren de Aragua to extend their operations beyond borders, deepening involvement in human trafficking and exploitation of migrants, particularly affecting vulnerable Venezuelan women.

The spread of Tren de Aragua is now suspected to have reached other Latin American countries, with reported instances of common criminals impersonating gang members in various locales. However, arrests of alleged members in the U.S. or elsewhere do not necessarily imply that the gang has established formal operations in those areas.

While the United States wrestles with the implications of immigration, local law enforcement agencies like the Aurora Police Department have expressed skepticism regarding claims that the gang has overtaken certain neighborhoods. Recent reports indicate that suspected members are primarily focused on lesser crimes, not indicative of a transnational empire.

Many experts caution against the efficacy of deportation as a strategy for addressing the systemic issues driving migration. Previous instances, particularly those seen in El Salvador, have shown that aggressive deportation campaigns can contribute to the resilience of gangs like Tren de Aragua.

As the U.S. government navigates its immigration policies amidst these challenges, observers emphasize the critical need for understanding the larger socio-economic contexts fueling phenomena such as organized crime and violence. This approach may provide a clearer pathway to addressing the lasting impacts of globalization on local communities.