Staff Reports
Hispanic Republicans in Congress tried to light a fire under President Joe Biden’s behind, demanding that he do something about the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. What sparked this outcry? Oh, just a member of this gang getting arrested for the kidnapping and murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
Sen. Marco Rubio, Rep. Tony Gonzales, and Rep. María Elvira Salazar grabbed the President’s attention by leading a group of 23 lawmakers in a letter that essentially said, “Hey, Biden, get off your duff and declare Tren de Aragua a Transnational Criminal Organization already!” These lawmakers are clearly not messing around, and they’re justifiably furious about the horrible crimes committed by this gang. They want to send a message loud and clear that this reign of terror won’t be tolerated, and they’re demanding that steps be taken to protect our communities from transnational organized crime.
The lawmakers didn’t hold back, describing Tren de Aragua as an “invading criminal army from a prison in Venezuela.” It’s like something out of a wild action movie, but unfortunately, it’s all too real. They painted a grim picture of the devastation this gang has already caused in Central and South America, making it clear that they won’t stand by and let it run unchecked in the United States.
Laken Riley, an innocent young woman, fell victim to this gang’s brutality while simply out for a jog on her college campus. The man arrested for her murder, Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra, reportedly has ties to Tren de Aragua. He came into the U.S. illegally and was even released by law enforcement before allegedly carrying out this horrific crime.
It’s unclear whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement knew about Ibarra’s gang affiliation at the time of his arrest in 2022. The fact that this crucial information may not have been on their radar is absolutely mind-boggling. Tren de Aragua isn’t even on the list of gangs that Border Patrol tracks.
The lawmakers made it crystal clear that failure to designate Tren de Aragua as a transnational criminal organization would spell big trouble for the United States. They’re not mincing words when they say that our cities can’t become battlegrounds for these kinds of organizations and our citizens can’t be left to suffer at their hands. This is a serious issue that demands action, and the lawmakers are on a mission to make sure that the Biden administration doesn’t drop the ball on this one. They’ve made their voices heard loud and clear, and it’s about time that something is done to protect our communities from this dangerous threat.
