U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and U.S. Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) led numerous Republicans in urging President Joe Biden to immediately designate the Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s largest criminal gang, as a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO).
“This designation is crucial to effectively mobilize national awareness as a result of this threat, as well as deploy necessary resources and sanctions that will help to curb the escalating crime and violence threatening communities across the United States,” wrote Sen. Cassidy, Rep. Salazar, and their GOP colleagues in a March 14 letter sent to Biden.
Among the 21 Republicans who joined Sen. Cassidy and Rep. Salazar in signing the bicameral letter were U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who noted that Tren de Aragua, a well-known criminal organization that originated in the prisons of Venezuela, has expanded globally and spearheaded murders, bribery schemes, drug-trafficking, kidnappings, ransoms, arms trafficking, and money laundering.
“If left unchecked, they will unleash an unprecedented reign of terror, mirroring the devastation it has already inflicted in communities throughout Central and South America, most prominently in Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is clear that most state and local law enforcement agencies are not yet prepared to handle the magnitude of this grave threat.”
Failure to designate Tren de Aragua as a TCO, they added, will only embolden further expansion of the group, leading to heightened violence and criminality within America.
“We cannot permit our cities to become battlegrounds for such organizations, nor can we allow our citizens to suffer at their hands,” wrote the lawmakers. “By designating the Tren de Aragua as a TCO, we will send a clear message that its reign of terror will not be tolerated, and that we will stand united in our resolve to protect our communities from the scourge of transnational organized crime.”