Tren de Aragua gang started in Venezuela’s prisons and now spreads fear in the US

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Law enforcement authorities across the U.S. are increasingly focused on a Venezuelan gang behind a spate of violent crimes. The Tren de Aragua traces its origin more than a decade ago to an infamously lawless prison. But it has expanded in recent years as more than 8 million desperate Venezuelans flee economic turmoil back home. Focus on the Tren jumped after footage from a security camera surfaced on U.S. social media showing a group of heavily armed men brazenly entering an apartment in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado. That prompted former President Donald Trump to vow to “liberate Aurora” from Venezuelans he falsely said were “taking over the whole town.” In July, the Biden administration sanctioned the gang.