Palmetto State News

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.-27) in urging President Biden to formally designate Tren de Aragua—a notorious Venezuelan gang, now found in the U.S. – as a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO). Tren de Aragua is a brutal criminal organization that originated in Venezuela’s prisons and has extended throughout the Western Hemisphere. This transnational criminal structure has spearheaded murders, bribery schemes, drug-trafficking, kidnappings, ransoms, arms trafficking, and money laundering.

"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," the lawmakers wrote. "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, most prominently in Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The breadth of Tren de Aragua’s operations encompasses murder, drug and human trafficking, sex crimes, extortion, and kidnapping, among other brutalities. It is clear that most state and local law enforcement agencies are not yet prepared to handle the magnitude of this grave threat."

"Heinous crimes committed by the Tren de Aragua, like the rapes of multiple children and the murders of retired police officer José Luis Sánchez Valera and nursing student Laken Riley, must stop," the lawmakers continued. "By designating the Tren de Aragua as a TCO, we will send a clear message that its reign of terror will not be tolerated, and that we will stand united in our resolve to protect our communities from the scourge of transnational organized crime. The time to act is now."

The letter was also signed by several other lawmakers, including Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), as well as U.S. Representatives Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.-05), Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.-28), Chris Smith (R-N.J.-04), Tony González (R-Texas-23), and others.

This call for action follows FBI Director Christopher Wray's recent admission that the wide array of national security threats coming across the Biden administration’s open border could include Tren de Aragua. Reports have also confirmed that Aragua gang members have infiltrated the United States’ open border, leading to an increase in migrant crime, including Tren de Aragua's recent attack on New York City police officers and its alleged ties to numerous robberies in NYC.

As the lawmakers emphasized, the designation of Tren de Aragua as a TCO is crucial in sending a strong message against organized crime and safeguarding communities from the terror it brings.