A notorious Venezuelan prison gang has established a presence in at least 16 US states, covering nearly half the nation’s population, according to a recent internal intelligence memo from Homeland Security.

The memo highlights the Tren de Aragua (TdA)’s growing foothold in various parts of the country, most recently in Washington, DC, Virginia, Montana, and Wyoming, The New York Post reported. The group is also reportedly active in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

As the gang spreads, its “violent tendencies” have reportedly escalated, causing growing concern among law enforcement agencies. Homeland Security’s memo pointed to a correlation between the arrival of TdA members in new regions and the increase in local migrant populations, warning that “the potential for violent TdA migrants is highly probable.”

In August 2023, three people were detained for shoplifting in Fairfax County, Virginia, following a run-in with suspected TdA members. All three suspects had gang-related tattoos, and one had a fake Venezuelan ID.

The DC area is seen as a strategic base for the gang, which reportedly uses its proximity to Virginia’s suburbs to engage in theft, robbery, and assault. Homeland Security also flagged an uptick in “lower-level fraud and theft schemes,” with stolen funds being wired back to South America to finance further criminal activities.

In one case, a suspected TdA member in Florida withdrew $1,18,000 from a bank account using fraudulent cheque deposits, transferring the funds to Venezuela before the fraud could be detected.

In Wyoming, where the gang’s presence has been relatively limited, Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak revealed the arrest of a suspected TdA member.

Tren de Aragua members are believed to have infiltrated the US amid a massive wave of migrants crossing the southern border during the Joe Biden administration. A lack of information-sharing between the US and Venezuela has hindered the detection of gang members, enabling their release into the country, according to US Border Patrol sources, reported New York Post.

Efforts to deport Venezuelan nationals face significant roadblocks due to strained relations between Washington and the Venezuelan government, which has refused to accept deportation flights.

Reports of TdA’s activities range from violent crimes to sophisticated trafficking networks. In New York, the gang has been linked to shootings, robberies, and gun smuggling in migrant shelters. Members are also reportedly involved in sex trafficking, particularly on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens.

Tennessee has also emerged as a hotspot for the gang’s operations, with human trafficking rings and retail crime thefts reported in cities such as Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.

The expanding influence of Tren de Aragua has drawn attention from political leaders. US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to prioritise cracking down on the gang, promising a historic mass deportation effort involving both Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the US military.