In just over a year, Tren de Aragua (TDA), a violent South American gang originating from Venezuela, has infiltrated New York City, taking advantage of the migrant crisis to establish a foothold within city shelters and neighborhoods. The gang’s swift rise has brought a surge of violent crime, including gun trafficking, robbery, and prostitution, leaving average New Yorkers and even the city’s elite police force overwhelmed.
The New York Post published an in depth look at how the dangerous gang is operating from the shadows of migrant shelters and tent cities; TDA is hiding in plain sight. Armed with guns and mopeds, the gang has terrorized Gotham, running prostitution rings and selling illegal weapons under the noses of shelter security. They are also notorious for peddling a lethal drug mix known as Tussi or “pink cocaine,” adding to the city’s growing fentanyl problem.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny acknowledged the gang’s ability to “hide in plain sight” within the migrant community. “Not every migrant is here to commit crimes, not every migrant is a gang member,” Kenny stated, “but these TDA guys hide very well.” He described how gang members have gone as far as wearing Uber Eats uniforms and using delivery bags while committing their crimes. Despite arrests, the gang members remain tight-lipped about TDA’s operations