10
Loading video...
By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Border patrol officers announced the capture of another suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in California, who was sporting signature tattoos linked to the notoriously violent group.
The unnamed suspect was found by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Imperial, with star tattoos similar to those seen on other members of the gang that has slowly spread across the U.S. in recent years.
Why It Matters
Tren de Aragua (TdA) members have been linked to several high-profile crimes in 2024, including the murders of Laken Riley in Georgia and Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas. Law enforcement officials recently put out a bulletin noting that the alleged gang members' distinctive tattoos in the hopes they could lead the public to identifying other suspects.
Read More on U.S.
...
What To Know
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the capture of the Venezuelan who had an outstanding warrant for attempted homicide in Redwood City and was previously arrested for grand larceny in New York.
The man had stars on either shoulder, similar to others seen on TdA members, which indicate rank, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Other common tattoos are crowns, which the Texas DPS said was similar to iconography used by the Latin Kings, as well as firearms, grenades, trains, dice, roses, and predatory felines. Text reading "Real Hasta la Muerte", meaning "'Till death", and "Hijos de Dios", or "Sons of God", is also sometimes tattooed across the chest or on arms.
Border patrol agents elsewhere have posted similar images across 2024, showing AK-47s on suspects' arms, along with footprints and playing cards.
A report from Telemundo in October said members often conceal their tattoos in order to make it across the U.S.-Mexico border. The gang has now been reported officially in at least 15 states, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, California and Colorado, and is known for its violent tactics, drug trafficking and money laundering.
CBP said it detained 41 TdA members in Fiscal Year 2023 – running October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023 – along with 27 the following year, and 5 since October 1, 2024. In total, 523 known gang members were detained by the border patrol.
Newsweek reached out to CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further comment Monday afternoon via email.
What People Are Saying
USBP Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino, on X: "This ain't Aurora, CO. Tren de Aragua face consequences in the Premier Sector."
House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman, New York Republican Anthony D'Esposito, at a hearing on December 10: "The Venezuelan criminal organization has been deemed "MS-13 on steroids," establishing drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and extortion networks throughout the Nation."
What's Next
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to crack down on transnational gangs like TdA once he returns to the White House on January 20. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has been offering $5,000 rewards for information leading to the capture of the gang's members.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines