Venezuela prison gang Tren de Aragua operating in Colorado

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A Venezuela-based transnational criminal organization known for targeting desperate immigrants reportedly has given “the green light” for gang members to attack or fire on law enforcement in the U.S.

That group, Tren de Aragua, or TDA, has reach and influence along Colorado’s Front Range, The Gazette has learned.

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo to the Albuquerque, N.M., Police Department warns of the threat. It’s unclear at this time whether TDA’s “green light” to gang members includes targeting Colorado Springs police officers.

Caitlin Ford, a PIO for the Colorado Springs Police Department, said that they are aware of the bulletin and are “constantly monitoring the situation as well as addressing any issues or concerns as they come up.”

“I know that we’re working with all of our other partner organizations to keep an eye on things,” Ford said.

Due to the sensitivity of gang investigation, Colorado Springs police say they will be unable to confirm publicly if Venezuela gang activity is present within the city in the future. However, Ford said the department has not seen any activity recently amid the bulletin.

“I don’t want to say, oh, there’s not been any,” Ford said “But I would say that we haven’t seen any recently.”

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Last month, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Tren de Aragua following a spree of kidnappings, extortion and other crimes tied to immigrants from South and Central America.

The U.S. government also offered a $12 million reward for three leaders of TDA which, along with other transnational criminal organizations such as the MS-13 gang from El Salvador and The Camorra from Italy, are banned from doing business in the U.S.

In announcing the ban, Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said the government’s action underscores the escalating threat TDA poses.

“As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to target Transnational Criminal Organizations, we will deploy all tools and authorities against organizations like Tren de Aragua that prey on vulnerable populations to generate revenue, engage in a range of criminal activities across borders, and abuse the U.S. financial system,” Nelson said.

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Alethea Smock, a spokesperson for Homeland Security investigations in the Northwest Region, confirmed TDA is operating in Colorado.

“Noncitizens associated with gangs or wanted for gang-related crimes in their home countries identified during regular immigration enforcement duties are prioritized for apprehension and removal from the U.S.,” Smock said in an email.

Federal officials said TDA — which was once a prison gang in Aragua, Venezuela — has, in recent years, quickly expanded into North America.

The gang has a diverse portfolio of criminal activities that includes human trafficking, particularly immigrant women and girls; drug trafficking; kidnapping; extortion and money laundering.

“When victims seek to escape this exploitation, Tren de Aragua members often kill them and publicize their deaths as a threat to others,” according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

Venezuela has descended into economic, humanitarian and political chaos under President Nicolás Maduro, who has jailed or banned political leaders and used food distribution as a social control tool. Opponents of Madura’s government have been viciously punished.

More than 7 million Venezuelans have fled the country, seeking refuge in countries around the globe, including the U.S.

While no one knows with certainty what percentage of the more than 42,000 immigrant arrivals from South and Central America are from Venezuela, officials believe they account for the majority who have come to Denver over the past 20 months.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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