MS-13 on steroids: El Paso on high alert as dangerous Venezuelan gang surges into US

The state of Chihuahua in Mexico is on high alert due to reports that members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, or TdA, were moving through the state to cross into the U.S. near El Paso, Texas.

According to a report from the Latin Times, Mexican authorities have detected a significant number of individuals suspected to be members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, or TdA, operating in the state and passing through to cross the U.S. border with Mexico near El Paso, as warned by Chihuahua Secretary of Public Safety Gilberto Loya on Monday.

The Treasury Department designated TdA as a transnational criminal organization in July, citing its involvement in human trafficking, extortion, money laundering, and drug trafficking as posing a "deadly criminal threat" across the Western Hemisphere.

"The Treasury Department stated that Tren de Aragua uses its international connections to transport individuals, particularly migrant women and girls, across borders for the purpose of sex trafficking and debt bondage. Additionally, members of the organization are known to murder their victims and make their deaths public as a means of intimidation."

Earlier this month, U.S. officials warned that a gang from Aragua, Venezuela, is infiltrating the United States, and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, has characterized TdA as "MS-13 on steroids."

"Gonzales stated in a phone interview with Planet Chronicle Digital that the group is extremely aggressive and not passive, as they want to actively pursue their goals. He explained that they come from Venezuela, a country that has been ravaged by war for the past decade, making them battle-hardened. Despite this, they are becoming more organized and brazen in their approach."

The gang is suspected of being responsible for a recent video showing men with handguns and rifles entering an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, which residents claim has been plagued by gang activity.

These are ghosts," said one resident who spoke with Planet Chronicle Digital on the condition of anonymity. "They patrol the property with guns visibly, like they're not trying to hide them. There's no repercussion.

Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky stated that there is no doubt that TdA is involved in sex trafficking in the city, according to a resident who informed Planet Chronicle Digital that the gang has been selling drugs from an apartment building.

Loya stated in Mexico that the group has been linked to several murders in Central Mexico and expressed hope that the border state can address the issue.

""Thanks to collaboration with the United States, we have detected a significant number of Tren de Aragua members passing through Chihuahua. We want to stay ahead of the curve in Central Mexico by being proactive here in Chihuahua," Loya stated, as translated by Border Report."

Neither the White House nor U.S. Customs and Border Patrol provided a response to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.