Seven suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang were arrested in the Bronx earlier this month after federal agents tracked an ankle monitor to a gang hideout. Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD conducted the raid on Dec. 5, uncovering a group tied to the Venezuelan criminal network.
The raid led to the arrest of 28-year-old Jarwin Valero-Calderon, whose court-ordered GPS monitor pinpointed the location. Valero-Calderon, a Venezuelan national, had a history of arrests, a deportation order, and a record of evading law enforcement.
Law enforcement officials criticized the system that allowed Valero- Calderon and others to remain free despite serious charges. “This is what actual supervised release looks like?” one source said.
Authorities say Tren de Aragua has taken advantage of Biden and Harris’ immigration policies, expanding operations into sanctuary cities across the U.S. The gang is implicated in drug trafficking, theft, and smuggling operations, often recruiting new members from migrant shelters.