Tren de Aragua, a violent gang that originated in the prisons of Venezuela, has expanded its reach far beyond the South American country and established a foothold in the Denver metro area, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Described by the U.S. government as Venezuela’s “most powerful criminal gang,” authorities said it operates sex trafficking networks and exploits Venezuelan migrants. Back in April, the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol warned Americans to “watch out for this gang. It is the most powerful in Venezuela, known for murder, drug trafficking, sex crimes, extortion, & other violent acts.”
The gang is making headlines in Colorado after its members have been accused of a jewelry heist, a beating, shootings, and barging into apartment units with rifles.
Here’s what we know.
What is the Tren de Aragua gang?
Tren de Aragua is Venezuela’s largest criminal gang. It originated more than a decade ago as a prison gang, run entirely out of the Tocorón prison, according to a report by the Washington Examiner.
The gang is believed to have about 5,000 members with annual profits between $10 and $15 million, according to a report by Telemundo.
How long has Tren de Aragua been in Colorado?
It is unclear how long the Venezuelan gang has been operating in Colorado. However, the gang is reported to have expanded to North America prior to a raid of the Tocorón prison in 2023, according to the Washington Examiner.
Where in Colorado is the Tren de Aragua gang?
Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have said that the Venezuelan gang is operating in the Denver region. Local officials said they have recently arrested several members of the gang.
What crimes has the Venezuelan gang been linked to?
To date, TDA gang members have been linked to a jewelry heist in north Denver, the beating of a man at the Aspen Grove complex and a shooting.
How does Tren de Aragua operate?
According to Venezuelan journalist Ronna Rísquez, the “modus operandi” for Tren de Aragua is adaptability, a broad criminal portfolio and violence.
It is known for a range of crimes, which includes drug trafficking, illegal mining, extortion, migrant smuggling, trafficking of women for sexual exploitation, kidnapping, and several others. The gang is also known for recording its crimes to intimidate rival gangs.
As reported by Risquez and relayed by U.S. federal agents, the gang is known for its ability to “adapt and negotiate,” forming partnerships with local gangs for “black market opportunities” to participate in more crimes.
What apartment complex in Aurora is Tren de Aragua accused of taking over?
Three complexes owned by CBZ Management in Aurora: Aspen Grove, Whispering Pines and The Edge at Lowry. Letters obtained by The Denver Gazette from the law firm representing CBZ Management said the company had been informed that “Aurora Multi-Family Projects have been forcibly taken control of by gang(s) that have immigrated here from Venezuela.”
What do the building’s residents say?
Residents have pushed back against the claim that the gang has overtaken their complex.
“The mayor is out of his orbit,” Carlos Ordosgoitti, a resident at the complex at 12th Avenue and Dallas Street told Denver Gazette news partner 9News. “There has been false information on behalf of us, but no one has come to talk to us, those of us that live here.”
Are the Hell’s Angels coming to Colorado to start a gang war?
The Aurora police said they are monitoring the situation but “do not believe the posts to be credible.” Various — mostly anonymous — social media accounts have made the claim and posted videos, which didn’t show the Hells Angels or were taken months ago. One video from July shows motorcyclists participating in an Insanos Motorcycle Club event in Brazil. Another video is from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Who are the Venezuelan gang’s leaders?
According to InSight Crime, Héctor Rustherford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” is the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang, directing operations from Tocorón prison until September 2023.
Guerrero had strengthened his control over Tren de Aragua by bringing together other key criminals, who became his closest associates. Among them were Larry Amaury Álvarez, known as “Larry Changa,” and Yohan José Guerrero, also known as “Johan Petrica.”
Prior to a major raid on the facility, he managed to escape, with reports from Venezuelan civil society suggesting he received advance notice. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
What are police doing to stop Tren de Aragua?
What are local leaders saying about Venezuelan gangs in Colorado?
Officials, including Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, have acknowledged the gang’s presence in the Denver metro region, but have pushed back on portrayals that the city was overrun by the gang.
“The misrepresentation that all of Aurora has this problem is simply not true and it give this city a black eye unjustifiably,” Coffman has said.
Aurora officials earlier dismissed claims by an apartment operator that gang activity precluded it from doing its job.
Is Tren de Aragua in Colorado because of an influx in Venezuelan migration?
The gang “took advantage” of waves of migration from Venezuela to push more members to the United States, according to a report by The Washington Examiner.
“For months, I have sounded the alarm about Tren de Aragua and the threat this gang poses to Americans,” Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales told the Examiner back in June.
Tren de Aragua conceals its members within groups of asylum seekers in order to gain access to the U.S., the report said. Border Patrol agents have difficulty screening people because Venezuela doesn’t share in-country crime data with the U.S., the Examiner reported.
What does Tren de Aragua mean in English?
Tren de Aragua means “Aragua Train,” a nod to the gang’s original roots in a railway project in Venezuela, according to Chilean publication Ex-Ante. The project was part of the 2006 National Socialist Railway Development Plan, which never came to fruition.
Aragua is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, located in the northwest part of the country.
What tattoos does the Tren de Aragua gang have?
According to law enforcement agencies in El Paso, New York and Chicago, gang members have been known to get tattoos featuring the Nike logo of NBA legend Michael Jordan, along with his jersey number, 23. The number is a reference to “23 de Enero,” a neighborhood in Venezuela linked to a revolutionary group from the 1980s.
Other typical gang tattoos include crowns, images of weapons like AK-47s, stars, and gas masks.
Some members of the “Tren de Aragua” gang sport tattoos with the initials “HJ,” representing “Hijos de Dios” or Sons of God. Another common phrase seen in their tattoos is “Hasta la Muerte,” meaning “Until Death”.
Not all gang members have tattoos, however, as multiple outlets and law enforcement agencies have reported.
Does Tren de Aragua have gang colors?
It isn’t known whether the gang affiliates with specific colors.
Are there other prominent gangs known to operate in the Denver metro area?
In 2017, police estimated that Denver was home to around 38,000 gang members, spread across 220 different gangs. In Colorado Springs, law enforcement identified about 1,300 gang members connected to 97 different gangs during the same year.
The Denver police did not provide specific information regarding current gang activity in the city.
“DPD does discuss gangs by name as we do not want to give them notoriety,” a department spokesperson told The Denver Gazette. “We do have a team who focuses on these criminal enterprises and works prevent gang involvement, disrupt violence, arrest suspects, and investigate gang crimes.”
Denver Gazette reporters Dan Boniface, Nico Brambila and Marco Cummings contributed to this report.
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Publish date : 2024-09-05 00:01:00
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