Photo Credit: Yahoo.com
This week, a former Chicago gang member got a lot of media attention announcing Venezuelan gangs are now in Chicago- and are in conflict with traditional black and Hispanic gangs for money, drugs and territory.
Who are the Venezuelans? The largest group is Tren de Aragua or TdA an international crime group. They have been allowed into the country under the Biden administration sieve-like border policies along with an estimated 15 to 20 million other immigrants who have been waived in with hopes they will become Democrat Voters.
Of course, for those of us with memories at least 3.5 year long, the Biden announced and appointed “Border Czar” VP Kamala Harris was supposedly in charge of the border this past term. (Now campaigning for President, internet reference to her Border Czar title has been scrubbed from many data bases and search engines.) Can’t even intimate something has been wrong with the border policies.
So, with the enormous wave of illegals, “migrants”, “sanctioned visitors” or “Undocumented Democrat Voters” have brought immense amount of migrant crime along with it because the people coming in could not be vetted. One news story yesterday said current stats from this summer in Manhattan said migrants were committing 75% of all street crime.
Tren de Aragua comes to us from the notorious Venezuelan prison gang which has infiltrated large U.S. cities. With a back home membership of 5,000 gang members (Venezuela’s largest criminal organization) they have exported their special talents through a wide-open U.S. border.
What are their talents? Oh, they started out local but are now transnational with bedrock money makers like sex trafficking, labor trafficking, narcotics, and human smuggling. Where are they working it? In “Sanctuary Cities” like Chicago, Denver and New York City. Yes, Sanctuary Cities, the gift that just keeps on giving.
Now you may think those big cities have all the gangs and cartels they need by now, but TdA is getting a foothold quickly. They have been in the U.S. for about two years, and NewsNation got copies of gang intelligence bulletins generated by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office from 2023 notifying Law Enforcement of the new presence of TdA gang members in the city. They are identified as particularly violent.
TdA purportedly operates with a three-tier system of leadership, Principos, Papas and Luceros.
Their obvious pool of immediate victims is, and will continue to be, other migrants newly funneled into the U.S., especially other Venezuelans who have fled a hellhole country to get here. Most came from awful countries where the police are the bad guys, and they will not seek out or speak to U.S. police officers. A ready-made pack of victims who have limited mobility options, guaranteed monthly funds and limited many times by the inability to speak English.
TdA members are not here seeking liberty and freedom like many fledgling migrants. They are part of an international crime organization sent here to commit crimes, make money and send money back to the parent organization. The amount of U.S. dollars being sent back across the border by established Mexican and South American gangs is ridiculous. Reuters had a story last year identifying $4.4 Billion in criminal proceeds being sent back across the southern border.
TdA has already been tied to the murder of two NYC policemen, and other rumor stories have been circulating via the internet. A disputed claim they took over an apartment building in Aurora, CO with long guns was batted back and forth in nationwide media this summer with many saying it did not happen. However, this month the city dropped charges against the landlord of two apartment buildings which were taken over by TdA. Local police did not confirm the takeover, but did admit TdA is resident. In Chicago there are reports in the media about them taking over abandoned buildings and using them as gang headquarters…yes…they are into real estate! Chicago police said a claim in September of 32 TdA taking over an apartment building was unfounded.
TdA are supposedly fond of the Nike “Jumpman” logo on their shoes and clothes. It is the jumping Michael Jordan icon Nike has been using on its products for decades now. The New York Post showed a lot of tattoos which may be TdA signs. Crowns- 5 point, which could be an obvious sticking point here in Chicago where all old school gangs are either “People” or “Folk” affiliated. The People gangs like Vice Lords and Latin Kings use 5-point crowns or 5-point stars as a major identification symbol. TdA wandering around with their own 5-point crown won’t be welcome.
Other identifying tattoos include trains (part of the TdA labor force origins), various stars- which may indicate leadership roles. The phrase Hijos de Dios (H.J.) means “Children of God.” Weapon tattoos are common with the AK-47 most prominent. Another tattoo is “Hasta la Muerte” which means “till death.” TdA also has gang symbol hand signs like most other Chicago gangs.
This week Tyrone Muhammad, a reformed Chicago gang member and convicted murderer, got a lot of media attention when he warned TdA are now in conflict with traditional Chicago gangs, and he warns about potential blood baths on the South Side. Like the South Side has any more victim blood to give.
Muhammad also said on a Newsmax interview TdA are moving out of migrant shelters and taking over entire apartment buildings. Chicago Police and/or the mayor have been pretty quiet on the subject as expected. Tyrone Muhammad seems to be the only one calling out the alarm on this one. TdA violence with black and Hispanic gangs seems to be the future of Chicago.
Hey, what’s one more gang invading the south side between friends…and in an election year?
Kowalski 2027.