There’s no denying the U.S. southern border is in chaos. But it’s worse than you could’ve imagined.
And now President Biden is desperately working to hide what’s just happened at the southern border.
While all eyes have been on the Trump trial and the jury verdict that Trump was found “guilty” in the hush money case, something very concerning has been going on at the southern border that has border patrol agents sounding the alarm.
In a significant development highlighting the ongoing security concerns at the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. Border Patrol announced the arrest of ten foreign nationals linked to a notorious international prison gang during the Memorial Day weekend.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens confirmed the arrests, revealing that the individuals were members of Tren de Aragua, a formidable criminal organization that originated in Venezuela. This gang has been implicated in numerous high-profile crimes both in Venezuela and internationally. The apprehended individuals are set to be processed for deportation.
“Over the weekend, USBP agents across Texas arrested 10 subjects affiliated with the Venezuelan gang, ‘Tren de Aragua,’” Owens posted on X on Wednesday. “Keep your eye on this gang. Their criminal activities represent a serious threat to our communities! All 10 subjects will be processed for removal from the US.”
Tren de Aragua, initially formed as a prison gang in the northern Venezuelan state of Aragua in 2014, has rapidly expanded its operations. Today, it stands as Venezuela’s largest criminal organization, with an estimated 5,000 members and a significant presence across Latin America and into the United States. The gang’s influence and reach have been described as revolutionary in the realm of Latin American crime.
Federal immigration authorities have long been aware of the threat posed by Tren de Aragua, noting their increasing attempts to establish a stronger foothold within the U.S. The gang’s members have been linked to several high-profile crimes, including the kidnapping and strangulation of a Florida man last year by an illegal immigrant purportedly connected to the gang.
Another alleged member, Diego Ibarra, was arrested for attempting to present a fake green card and has been charged with multiple other offenses. Ibarra is also the brother of the individual accused of k*lling Georgia nursing student Lakin Riley.
Over the weekend, USBP agents across Texas arrested 10 subjects affiliated with the Venezuelan gang, "Tren de Aragua."
Keep your eye on this gang. Their criminal activities represent a serious threat to our communities!
All 10 subjects will be processed for removal from the US. pic.twitter.com/XAppwRZLWZ
— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) May 29, 2024
The escalating threat from Tren de Aragua has prompted legislative action. Earlier this year, Senate and House Republicans urged the Biden administration to officially designate Tren de Aragua as a transnational criminal organization. They argue that such a designation would enhance the ability to combat the gang’s extensive criminal activities.
“Tren de Aragua is an invading criminal army from a prison in Venezuela that has spread their brutality and chaos to U.S. cities and small towns. If left unchecked, they will unleash an unprecedented reign of terror, mirroring the devastation it has already inflicted in communities throughout Central and South America,” GOP lawmakers stated in March. “The breadth of Tren de Aragua’s operations encompasses m*rder, drug and human tr*fficking, s*x crimes, extortion, and kidnapping, among other brutalities.”
The recent arrests underscore the persistent and evolving challenges at the U.S. border, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and robust enforcement measures to protect American communities from international criminal elements.
In the fiscal year 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported over 1.7 million encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, the highest number recorded in a single year. This trend continued into 2022, with over 2 million encounters reported.
Late in 2023, the House Committee on Homeland Security published a report saying that fiscal year of 2023 was the worst year for illegal immigration in America’s history.
Their report released in October reads:
In the final month of FY2023, CBP recorded 269,735 encounters at the Southwest border, marking another unprecedented milestone under Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and President Joe Biden’s open-borders policies. This monthly number also represents an 86% increase from June 2023, when the Biden administration celebrated a short-lived drop in illegal crossings following the end of Title 42.
One of the key facts noted in their report is since Joe Biden has taken office, there have been 6.2 million encounters will illegal immigrants at the southern border with 1.7 million known “gotaways”.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
