Free Republic

Tren de Aragua members arrested in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin.. Members of the violent Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), continue to expand criminal operations nationwide, including in the midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin. In Illinois, Chicago has long been plagued with illegal border crosser crime, serving as a major hub for drug trafficking operations run by the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel and transnational criminal organizations working with street gangs, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has reported. As the border crisis escalated over the past few years, a record number of Venezuelan illegal border crossers, more than...

Manuel Gomez, 25, Johan Alacon, 21, and Sue Ellen Gutierrez Saez, 20, were arrested at around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 near 44th Street and Camelback Road. Four people inside the van ran into a nearby neighborhood, but three of them were caught. The fourth suspect was not found. Investigators say the suspects are in the country illegally on expired visas. Police believe the suspects are connected to a South American Theft Group that has allegedly burglarized homes in several Valley cities dating back to last December. "Detectives believe there are still several SATGs members outstanding," Sgt. Phil Krynsky said....