UNITED States President Joe Biden has declared Venezuela’s deadliest gang – which is linked to crimes in Trinidad and Tobago – as a “significant transnational criminal organisation.”
Biden made the dramatic designation after his administration identified Tren de Aragua as an “emerging threat.”
The deadly gang, which began operations in a Venezuelan prison, is involved in organised crime in the US and other countries.
The crime team is said to be involved in the trafficking of guns, drugs, humans, and contraband.
The gang was identified as far back as March 22 as assisting Venezuelans to enter Trinidad and Tobago illegally and carry out crimes.
Researcher Dr. Justine Pierre said two years ago that Tren de Aragua criminals were “teaming up” with T&T gangs.
Pierre said then that women and children were used as “shields” while entering T&T.
He was quoted as saying: “The gangs are testing security measures so they send the women and children first, or, in some cases, they are part of the trip with them.”
He added: “They have a lot of resources financially and otherwise, and they are working alongside criminals in T&T.”
The gangsters reportedly have longstanding working relationships in T&T.
Pierre stated said that there was also an illegal trafficking and adoption ring.
The researcher, whose firm had been retained by Caricom to investigate and make recommendations on drug trafficking, in 2022 called on the T&T Government to investigate the gang as an urgent priority.
There is no indication that such an enquiry occurred, and the US authorities recently confirmed underground criminal activities in T&T.
Officials of the Biden Government have raised alarms over the expansion of Tren de Aragua to the US after terrorising several South American countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Peru.
CNN quoted a senior Federal Bureau of Investigations official as confirming the gang’s presence in the US.
The official told the news agency that “this is an emerging threat” and “it’s critical that we take action to address this.”
A group of American lawmakers has called for a crackdown, including cutting off the gangsters from the US financial system.
The US State Department is offering rewards of a total of US $12 million for the arrests and convictions of three Tren de Aragua leaders.
Transparency Venezuela previously reported that the gang had set up a major presence along the country’s borders with Brazil and Colombia.
The gang was formed in 2013 in the Torocon prison in the State of Aragua.
Early crimes included extortion from other prisoners.
The gang expanded by taking over other criminal organisations, sometimes following violent street clashes.
When the revelation of the gang’s involvement in T&T was made, there were publicly expressed concerns from security experts about a threat to the country’s national security.
There were also calls for the porous national borders to be plugged.
But there continue to be illegal activities, especially at unmanned southern borders, according to security experts.
Venezuelans escaping the repression of the Nicolas Maduro administration have been entering T&T, landing jobs in the informal sector and receiving handouts from charity groups.
Following a meeting in Washington last February, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said there were “elements of organised crime” in T&T and called it “a bad situation.”
