Nashville's Mayor, Freddie Connell, seemed to sidestep a reporter's query regarding the notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), and its activities in the city during a press conference held on Monday.
The question was posed by FOX17 News in the wake of reports that a TdA member had been apprehended in Chattanooga, a city not far from Nashville, in relation to a human trafficking case.
According to Newsweek, the TdA gang has been thrust into the national consciousness following the release of disturbing footage that showed armed gang members invading an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado. The gang has been implicated in a series of high-profile crimes, including the murders of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray.
In response to the question, Mayor Connell stated, "What I will say is Chief Drake has advised us, I mean even before the TBI [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] report, we knew they were active in TN. MNPD [Metropolitan Nashville Police Department] has a very active and successful gang unit and they have continually monitored that activity." He further added, "Right now I think if their investigations are underway we're not gonna know about it but when arrests are made we will all know."
When probed further by FOX17 News about any recent sightings or arrests, the mayor responded, "I will say it this way, I know MNPD of their presence in TN and they're monitoring what the situation looks like in Nashville."
The mayor's comments were made following the arrest of a TdA gang member in Chattanooga. The arrested individual, Adelvis Rodriguez-Carmona, is facing human trafficking charges and is known to have ties with the infamous crime syndicate.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, stated that the gang has a "target on their back, and the State of Texas is utilizing all available resources to go after them." Governor Abbott has recently taken steps to designate the gang as a terrorist organization, thereby increasing the criminal penalties its members will face. He also announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members involved in criminal activity.
Formed in a Venezuelan prison, TdA is a transnational criminal organization that is gaining a foothold in the criminal underworld. The U.S. Border Patrol reports that 41 TdA gang members were apprehended in fiscal year 2023, and 23 were caught in fiscal 2024, indicating a rise in the gang's activities in the U.S.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to take a hard line on criminal gangs once he assumes office in January. He has stated that notorious crime syndicates and drug kingpins will "never sleep soundly" again. "The drug cartels are waging war on Americaand it's now time for America to wage war on the cartels," Trump said in a statement in 2023. "The drug cartels and their allies in the Biden administration have the blood of countless millions on their hands. Millions and millions of families and people are being destroyed. When I am back in the White House, the drug kingpins and vicious traffickers will never sleep soundly again."
Login