The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua made headlines last year when stories emerged alleging its members had taken control of several apartment buildings in a Colorado suburb, extorting and terrorizing local residents.
The gang has been operating for over a decade but has recently come under scrutiny as President Donald Trump has classified them as a state-sponsored terrorist organization with ties to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, and implemented mass deportations of their members using a 200-year old law known as the Alien Enemies Act.
Here’s what to know.
Origins
Tren de Aragua (TdA) originated in Tocoron prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua, which had been taken over by its inmates. The name is Spanish for “Train of Aragua,” and it is possible that some of its original members were disaffected rail workers….