Simon Hankinson and Erin Schniederjan, border security research experts at the Heritage Foundation, have raised concerns about the presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in U.S. communities. They allege that the gang is involved in sex crimes and drug smuggling across the country. Hankinson and Schniederjan made these claims in a joint commentary on October 15.
"The mass release and parole of inadmissible aliens with no credible vetting of their pasts allows for the worst criminals to easily enter the U.S. and destroy Americans' lives," said Hankinson and Erin Schniederjan, Research fellows, according to The Heritage Foundation. "Now Americans are forced to endure another violent, transnational gang due to the Biden–Harris Administration's open-border policies and deliberately feckless law enforcement."
According to the Heritage experts, TdA has become a criminal force operating within the United States due to large-scale migration of Venezuelans fleeing economic and political instability through the southern border. The gang is linked to human trafficking, drug smuggling, and violent crimes and was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Initially formed within Venezuela’s Tocorón prison, TdA expanded its reach by leveraging migration patterns, establishing networks in Dallas, Denver, and El Paso. Members of TdA have reportedly crossed the U.S. southern border undetected or have been released by federal authorities.
In Dallas, members of TdA are accused of turning an apartment complex into a crime hub. In Denver, their activities allegedly include shootings and jewelry heists. According to Hankinson and Schniederjan, in El Paso, the gang has reportedly commandeered migrant shelters as bases for trafficking and other illegal operations. Suspected members have also appeared in New York City, where they have been linked to violent crimes including assaults and police shootings.
The Daily Mail reports that TdA began as a prison gang in Venezuela but has grown into a transcontinental criminal organization. The gang initially profited from Venezuelans attempting to leave their home country under dictator Nicolás Maduro. Since 2014, almost 8 million Venezuelans have left their country; while most went to other South American countries, some are now entering the U.S., including members of TdA. The gang has also moved its official headquarters to Juarez, Mexico, on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Hankinson is identified as Senior Research Fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation on their website. Schniederjan serves as Research Assistant for Homeland Security and Asian Studies in the same center.
