The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reported the identification of hundreds of migrants in the United States who may be associated with Tren de Aragua, an international crime syndicate originating from Venezuela. This revelation, reported by NBC News, highlights growing concerns over the influence of organized crime within U.S. borders.

The Daily Caller News Foundation reports how according to DHS officials, more than 600 foreign nationals living in the U.S. are believed to have ties to Tren de Aragua. Of this group, around 100 individuals are confirmed gang members, while others may be witnesses, victims, or potential members of the syndicate. Tren de Aragua, which started as a prison gang in Venezuela’s Aragua state in 2013, has expanded significantly, boasting thousands of members across multiple countries and a confirmed presence in 15 U.S. states, with potential ties to eight additional states.

Since October 2022, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has apprehended over 100 individuals suspected of connections to Tren de Aragua. This includes 75 apprehended for various immigration violations, with more than 20 individuals referred for federal prosecution. A DHS spokesperson emphasized the agency’s commitment to combating gang activity, stating, “All individuals confirmed or suspected to be gang members are referred for criminal prosecution or detained and placed into Expedited Removal.”

The ongoing operations involve re-screening certain individuals previously encountered by DHS, aiming to identify potential gang members or victims. This process is complicated by strained U.S.-Venezuelan relations, which hinder access to criminal histories for migrants from Venezuela.

Law enforcement experts have expressed concerns about the accuracy of the figures released by DHS, suggesting that the actual number of gang members may be much higher. Frank Figliuzzi, a former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence, remarked, “The number is almost disturbingly low… It should be higher.” He noted that while Tren de Aragua’s activities in the U.S. are concerning, the gang has yet to demonstrate a high level of organization and sophistication.

The backdrop to this issue is the unprecedented number of migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border, with approximately 2.1 million encounters reported in fiscal year 2024 alone. Under the Biden-Harris administration, the total figure of migrant encounters at the southern border has reached around 8.5 million, not including an additional half a million migrants brought into the country through the administration’s CHNV program.

This surge in immigration includes hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan nationals, some of whom have been confirmed as gang members. Tren de Aragua has been implicated in various high-profile criminal activities, including a notorious gang takeover of several apartments in Aurora, Colorado, and the shooting of two New York Police Department officers.