US Under Threat: The Rise of the Tren de Aragua Gang

For the inaugural moment since a century ago, when Pancho ‘La Cucaracha’ Villa along with his revolutionary allies took over the geographical outlines of the New Mexico town of Columbus, the United States finds itself on the brink of an invasion on land, at least as per governmental assertions. With the dawn of a new era of political unrest, the time for action, as preppers would say, has gravely arrived. The United States finds itself confronting an unforeseen intrusion, stemming from Venezuelan participants of a notorious group, known as Tren de Aragua (Aragua Train), originally a gang born out of the prison that has now evolved into a recognized terrorist organization.

As per the words of the U.S. administration, they allege that the Tren de Aragua is coordinating with the Cártel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), a criminal organization known for narcotics dealings, with roots firm in the political framework of Caracas. It appears that the Aragua Train’s method of operation includes heinous criminal acts, such as abductions, murders, and extortions, and trafficking of weapons, drugs, and human beings. Such actions are undeniably associated with these criminals, however, assertions that the gang’s activities against the U.S. are directed by Caracas are unproven and questionable.

In a surprising divergence, the U.S.’s National Intelligence Council has expressed disagreement with the White House’s conclusions. It is stated in a recently revealed document, dated April, that although Venezuela’s lax laws indeed offer an operative ground for TdA’s actions, there is no concrete evidence that suggests the governing regime under President Maduro is in collusion with TdA or orchestrating their operations within U.S borders.

The TdA gang gained international notoriety after a 2024 surveillance video from a residential area in Aurora, Colorado, densely populated by Venezuelans, showed the shocking footage of an armed cohort of criminals forcefully entering an apartment just moments before a brutal fatal shooting incident took place outside the complex. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin publically labelled Tren De Aragua as ‘one of the most violent and remorseless terrorist organizations globally, indulged in horrific acts such as rape, mutilation, and murder.’

However, there is compelling evidence that suggests this portrayal is not entirely accurate. While some active members exist amongst Venezuelan migrants, chiefly in countries like Colombia, Peru, and Chile, where domestic law enforcement agencies have apprehend multiple gang members over recent years, the group’s influence back home in Venezuela is reported to be dwindling. Their numbers, once peaking at an intimidating 3,000, have now significantly dipped.

Adding to the general conundrum, many major cartels have militarized to a considerable extent, and have on multiple occasions been observed to match the law enforcement agencies in their zeal. In terms of the global context, the U.S.’s rate of homicides surpasses the rates harbored by its fellow G7 countries, the major economic powers of the world. Here, life expectancy rates are low compared to the other G7 nations, and the rate of savings remain the lowest. Notably, homelessness rates soar past those seen in its comparably developed counterparts.

Furthermore, the level of drug consumption within the U.S. is alarming. With staggeringly high rates of use, many urban landscapes across the nation bear resemblances to post-apocalyptic scenes, coupled with shocking statistics of fatalities due to overdoses. The U.S. is home to prison gangs whose membership number in the thousands and Mexican drug cartels have established firm roots in American territory.

There exist neighborhoods within U.S borders where communicating with law enforcement is shunned and deemed risky, aligning with old-fashioned code. Just up till recently, the U.S. Capitol was under attack — surprisingly in line with what one might expect from an unstable republic! Until quite recently, the U.S. had an array of provisions encouraging massive illegal immigration, with a porous border, and has seen millions making their way across within a span of a few years.

For the average American citizen, hospital bills are known to force individuals into financial despair under the guise of a flawed health care system. In my home state of Oregon, almost one-third of school children are found to be consistently absent from school. Numerous academic studies highlight declining intelligence quotients amongst American citizens — a trend moving in the opposite direction of historically observed data.

I distinctly recall a woman in her late twenties, a mother of three, who enquired about what I meant by ‘a quarter to eight’ when sharing the time. She admitted to never having managed to learn how to read time off a clock. In response to this disturbing lack of basic education, the prevailing popular solution seems to be diminishing standards to match the situation. In increasing aspects, the U.S. appears to closely resemble the conditions of countries typically referred to as the Third World.

Reflecting on the situation, it had crossed my thoughts to express that the TdA’s violent activities and its members have no place in this nation — it then dawned on me that their existence and actions seem, unfortunately, a stable fit in the U.S.’s ‘permissive environment’ for such destructive entities.

A significant factor adding fuel to this degeneration of order has been the severe drop in oil revenue post-2014, which ensued an economic crisis that can be described as catastrophic in its scope and scale. Nearly 8 million people are reported to have abandoned their homes in the following decade, as the economy suffered an approximate 80 percent contraction.

In the words of observers, ‘it could potentially be the biggest ever economic collapse witnessed in a nation at peacetime.’ The public health infrastructure too has crumbled to a disastrous extent. The condition of public hospitals in Venezuela is such that they seem more of a threat to patient health unless individuals can afford the cost of all necessary tools and procedures, including, astoundingly, even blood transfusions.