Tipsheet

Venezuelan Gang Members in U.S. Given 'Green Light' to Shoot American Cops

Spencer Brown
Spencer Brown  |  July 30, 2024 2:00 PM

A new bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is warning border agents and other law enforcement agencies of a threat posed by Tren De Aragua (TdA), the largest criminal organization in embattled Venezuela, after an apparent "green light" to attack American law enforcement has been given to its members who have infiltrated the United States.

"Homeland Security Investigations reported that Tren De Aragua (TdA) criminal organization members in Denver have been given a 'green light' to fire on or attack law enforcement in Denver, Colorado," the message from HSI's Chicago office warns before adding "HSI New York reportedly received the same information" which is "deemed to be credible." 

"As you may know, we have a TdA presence here in Chicago, so please be vigilant as you encounter TdA members or affiliates during your investigative and operational activities," the warning emphasized.

It's an alarming development for a foreign criminal organization known for its human, weapon, and drug trafficking, among other illicit activities, to be giving an order to attack and/or shoot U.S. law enforcement on American soil, one made possible — and worse — by the crisis that has raged under the watch of Biden administration Border Czar Kamala Harris. 

According to the bulletin warning law enforcement of the "green light" for TdA attacks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) "has encountered approximately 26 known / identified TdA members in FY24, and 43 in FY23 at the point of encounter." 

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At present, however, intelligence and data "suggests there are over 1,000 TdA members in the United States."

Reporting from the New York Post on the bulletin noted that TdA is "already tied to hundreds of crimes, including the shootings of two NYPD cops who were trying to arrest one of its members in June."