Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan prison gang known as the Train of Aragua, has been causing havoc in New York City with a series of robberies carried out by its young members. These juvenile illegal immigrants have been targeting people in popular locations like Times Square, yet they have managed to evade incarceration due to New York's lenient laws on juvenile crime.
According to NYPD's Detective Bureau Assistant Chief Jason Savino, the gang members, some as young as 11, are currently being housed in a migrant shelter set up in the former Roosevelt Hotel. The suspects have been flaunting their access to guns on social media, showcasing pistols and even using them in gunpoint robberies.
Despite being arrested in connection with 50 separate crimes, the gang members have continued their criminal activities, escalating from pickpocketing to more serious offenses like scooter thefts. Savino attributes this escalation to the lack of consequences for their actions, as New York's lenient treatment of juvenile and adult criminal suspects has emboldened the gang.
The gang, which has expanded from Venezuela to various U.S. cities including New York and Chicago, has been linked to a surge in cellphone and purse robberies in the city. Their brazen tactics include wolfpack robberies, where multiple suspects surround and rob tourists, sometimes at gunpoint or with knives.
Despite the challenges in keeping juvenile suspects detained, Savino's team remains committed to making arrests and gathering evidence. As the influx of asylum-seeking migrants continues in New York City, the Tren de Aragua gang has capitalized on recruiting members from migrant shelters and even middle schools in Texas.
With their criminal activities spreading across different states and cities, law enforcement agencies are working tirelessly to combat the gang's operations and prevent further crimes. The situation underscores the need for stricter measures to address juvenile crime and ensure the safety of residents and visitors in affected areas.
