During an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Frank Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), discussed the immigration enforcement efforts carried out under the Trump administration.
In collaboration with its partners in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), namely Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the DEA has prioritized the elimination of illicit drug traffickers from society. These joint operations have resulted in numerous arrests, including that of the alleged leader of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA).
“This is a top priority from this administration, and the DEA has prioritized working with our partners to remove these violent offenders and keep our communities safe,” said Tarentino. “There’s a renewed focus to do more, to go after the most violent criminals that have violated our immigration laws, and hold those people accountable for driving violence in this city.”
Tarentino explained that the DEA and its law enforcement partners rely on data-driven intelligence operations to determine their targets. Many of these targets had been the focus of previous enforcement efforts, but until now, law enforcement had not been able to hold them accountable.
To gain a deeper understanding of the TdA gang and the increasing danger they present to the United States, I recommend reading “Tren de Aragua: The Growing Threat of Human Trafficking” by Cyrus Norcross, the Community Engagement Manager of Traverse Project.
