Venezuelan gang members arrested thousands of kilometers from the border

(The square in the middle) – Members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua are arrested thousands of miles from the border after illegally entering the United States through Texas.

The Venezuelan prison gang is known for its murders, bribery, money laundering, drug and arms trafficking, and kidnappings for ransom. In March, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Maria Elvira Salazar, both Republicans from Florida, called on the president to officially designate Tren de Aragua as a transnational criminal organization.

“Tren de Aragua is a criminal invasion army based in a prison in Venezuela that has expanded its brutality and chaos to U.S. cities and towns,” they said. “If left unchecked, they will unleash an unprecedented reign of terror that mirrors the devastation it has already wreaked in communities across Central and South America, most notably in Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The range of Tren de Aragua’s operations includes murder, drug and human trafficking, sex crimes, extortion and kidnapping, and other brutalities.”

Officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Division (ICE-ERO) recently arrested Venezuelan members of the Tren de Aragua in New York City and Chicago, but the deportation efforts were thwarted by federal and local policies.

On May 10, ICE-ERO-New York City agents arrested Johan Jose Cardenas Silva, who was wanted by Peruvian authorities on charges of conspiracy, assault and grand theft. This came two months after New York Police Department officers arrested him in March and charged him with various weapons and drug offenses.

“This international fugitive falsely believed he could enter the United States to not only evade justice in other countries, but also to continue his criminal acts with impunity,” said Kenneth Genalo, director of ICE-ERO’s New York field office. “His history of lawless behavior and his membership in a violent international criminal organization clearly demonstrate that he poses a serious threat to public safety.”

Despite Genalo’s claims, Cardenas was released from an ICE detention center in October 2023.

After illegally entering the United States in Del Rio, Texas, he was arrested on October 4, 2022 by Border Patrol agents who determined he had entered the United States illegally and served him with a Notice and Order for Expedited Removal.

On January 19, 2023, ICE-ERO-San Antonio agents served him with a summons to appear before an immigration judge, and in March 2023, an immigration judge ordered his removal from the United States.

He was not deported. Instead, he was released from ICE’s Stewart County Detention Center on October 5, 2023, “under the condition that he report to New York City; however, he never reported as directed,” according to ICE.

Although he traveled to New York City, he was arrested by NYPD officers on March 27 and charged with “second-degree criminal possession of a weapon: loaded firearm; second-degree criminal possession of a weapon: loaded firearm on school property; fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance: intent to sell; and acting in a manner that caused injury to a child under the age of 17.”

That same day, he was arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court and released on parole, despite his criminal history and before ICE-ERO could issue another immigration arrest warrant. “Due to New York State’s Protect Our Courts Act, ERO New York City was prohibited from detaining Cardenas after his release,” ICE said.

Cardenas reportedly committed more crimes and was arrested again. On April 1, Nassau County police arrested him and charged him with “fourth degree grand larceny: valuables over $1,000 and petty theft.” Within a month, a district court sentenced him to 60 days in jail.

He was held at a county correctional facility until he was arrested and deported by ICE. He is currently in ICE custody awaiting deportation proceedings. ICE agents also received notification that Cardenas is an international fugitive wanted by Peruvian authorities on an arrest warrant dating to October 2018.

In Chicago, ICE-ERO-Chicago agents arrested another Venezuelan member of the Tren de Aragua in March, who was being investigated by Chicago police for a drive-by shooting in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood.

This came after he was first arrested in 2022 for illegally entering the country near Eagle Pass, Texas.

Border Patrol agents arrested Adelvis Rodriguez-Carmona near Eagle Pass on July 7, 2022, and initiated removal proceedings against him. He was subsequently released on an honor bond and ordered to appear before an immigration judge, but he failed to do so. A year later, on July 7, 2023, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal in absentia.

On February 24, 2024, he was arrested by officers of the Cicero Police Department in Illinois on charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, no firearm permit, driving without a license or insurance, and possession of cannabis for recreational use in a motor vehicle. He was later released.

Just weeks later, on March 11, he was arrested by ICE-ERO officers without incident. He is currently being held at ICE’s Dodge County Detention Facility in Juneau, Wisconsin, while awaiting deportation proceedings.

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“This Venezuelan non-citizen posed a significant threat to residents of our communities,” said Raymond Hernandez, deputy director of ICE-ERO’s Chicago field office. “Not only is he a recognized member of a transnational street gang, but he also demonstrated a willingness to illicitly discharge a firearm in public. ERO Chicago will continue to make public safety a top priority by removing such threats from our streets.”

Rubio and Salazar warned: “Tren de Aragua has plunged communities in Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Peru into chaos. It has sown fear and instability and undermined the credibility of state institutions and the safety of innocent civilians. … We cannot allow our cities to become battlefields for such organizations, nor can we allow our citizens to suffer at their hands.”