The Department of Homeland Security is recommending much than 100 migrants that it has identified arsenic having imaginable ties to a bloodthirsty Venezuelan pack beryllium put connected an FBI watchlist, Fox News confirmed Wednesday, aft nan agency flagged much than 600 pinch imaginable ties overall.
NBC News first reported that DHS has identified much than 600 individuals pinch imaginable ties to Tren de Aragua, and that 100 of those are deemed "subjects of interests." Fox has confirmed that it recommended they beryllium placed connected nan FBI’s Watchlist for Transnational Criminal Organizations.
Officials do not judge that each of nan 600 migrants will beryllium confirmed pack members, and that galore will beryllium relatives, victims aliases witnesses to crimes by nan notorious pack members. Officials are making nan pack a privilege truthful it does not grow.
WHO IS TREN DE ARAGUA? VICIOUS VENEZUELAN GANG ‘FOLLOWING IN THE PATH OF MS-13’ IN AMERICA
Still image from societal media video shows suspected juvenile Tren de Aragua members based retired of nan Roosevelt Hotel, who person allegedly been attacking nan adjacent Times Square successful a drawstring of robberies. (Obtained by New York Post)
The gang is believed to person started successful nan Tocoron situation successful nan Venezuelan authorities of Aragua and has since expanded into Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and nan U.S. In a statement, DHS said that nan identities emerged arsenic portion of an ongoing re-screening cognition to tackle nan gang.
"As a portion of our activity to antagonistic TdA, DHS has an ongoing cognition to ace down connected pack members done re-screening definite individuals antecedently encountered, successful summation to nan rigorous screening and vetting astatine nan border," a DHS spokesperson said.
The agency said that those confirmed aliases suspected of being pack members will beryllium either referred for prosecution aliases placed into expedited removal — a deportation process that allows for nan speedy removal of forbidden immigrants.
The connection stressed that those identified successful nan re-screening "include those already successful custody, imaginable victims aliases witnesses who are not themselves suspected of being TdA members, and others who whitethorn not person immoderate engagement successful TdA astatine all."
There person been galore crimes successful nan past twelvemonth that person been linked to TdA, successful states including Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New York.
NEW REPORT WARNS BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG'S FOOTPRINT WILL REMAIN IN US ‘FOR DECADES’
The suspected Tren de Aragua pack members engaged successful forbidden activity including forbidden dumping and supplier use, according to nan El Paso County Attorneys Office. (KFOX14/El Paso County Attorneys Office)
The pack is believed to person taken complete flat blocks successful Aurora, Colorado, and authorities successful New York City person warned that nan pack is recruiting children and is linked to dozens of robberies successful nan sanctuary city. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has besides sounded nan siren astir nan maturation of nan pack successful his state.
Federal migration authorities announced past week that a confirmed TdA member was arrested successful Houston for allegedly recruiting mediate schoolhouse students to go caller pack members.
But nan gang’s beingness has accrued astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic a monolithic migration surge to nan confederate border, which included a important number of Venezuelans. While separator numbers person dropped sharply since June, nan effect of that situation is still being felt successful communities crossed nan U.S.
Experts noted to NBC that nan number of identified members is debased and could correspond a spread successful intelligence. Venezuela does not stock its databases pinch nan U.S., and relations are frosty. Earlier this year, Venezuela stopped accepting deportation flights from nan U.S.
While authorities person put retired warnings to Border Patrol agents astir imaginable markers of nan gang, they tin beryllium difficult to identify, while others get past agents arsenic gotaways.
TdA has go an rumor successful nan statesmanlike predetermination arsenic well. Former President Donald Trump announced precocious that he would invoke nan Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle "every forbidden migrant criminal web operating connected American soil."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Trump said, if elected, nan national authorities would "send elite squads of ICE, Border Patrol and national rule enforcement officers to hunt down, apprehension and deport each past forbidden alien pack personnel until location is not a azygous 1 near successful this country."
Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has stressed her support for a bipartisan separator information measure to supply further backing to nan separator and has besides highlighted her history targeting transnational criminal organizations arsenic a national prosecutor.
Adam Shaw is simply a authorities newsman for Fox News Digital, chiefly covering migration and separator security.
He tin beryllium reached astatine adam.shaw2@fox.com aliases connected Twitter.