Tren de Aragua’s ‘bloody conflict’ on US streets ‘could also be underestimated’ in election race

An oncoming gang war that could spill onto US streets might shape the American political landscape, an expert has claimed.

Originating from a prison in Aragua, Venezuela, Tren de Aragua (TdA) has become an increasing concern for the FBI due to their involvement in human smuggling, extortion and drug trafficking. In recent years, the gang has spread its influence into Central America and the United States. “We are nearing a highly-contested national election that has an ever-changing razor thin vote margin between the presidential candidates,” gang specialist and author Dr. Robert Bunker told the Daily Star.

He added: “As each party is spinning its own narratives, the Democrats are going to underestimate the dangers of TdA while the Republicans are going to overestimate them.

“The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. As an example Governor Abbot in Texas last month designated TdA as a ‘terrorist organisation’ even though this is outside of his authority.”

The rise of the notorious gang has sparked fears that US gangs like Mara Salvatrucha could escalate their violence to compete with “Venezuela’s deadliest criminals”.

TdA gained further notoriety last year when Venezuelan soldiers battled with gang members to regain control of a prison in Torocon that had fallen under the gang’s control.

Luidig Ochoa, who served six years in prison for a street gang shooting in 2000, recalled his time in the Tocoron jails where enemies of the ruling gang were fed to crocodiles. One inmate even kept attack dogs in their cell as a deterrent in the “city within a prison”.

Several outbreaks of violence on US streets linked to the gang have made headlines this year, most notably the seizure of a hotel in El Paso by Tren de Aragua last month.

When tech tycoon Elon Musk described the chaos as “real-life Mad Max”, the notoriety of Tren de Aragua skyrocketed internationally.

Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, bears the title of one of the world’s most perilous gangs, with a terrifying legend that spans decades. Yet, according to Dr. Bunker, these veterans may soon feel the pressure from the “up-and-coming” members of TdA claiming territories once dominated by MS-13.

The specialist shared: “Besides the US law enforcement response we have to expect that the local street gangs it tries to displace are going to have to step up their violence levels to combat it.”

“For a group like MS-13, I’d imagine they would start to ‘green light’ any TdA members they encounter. Mara Salvatrucha simply can’t afford to look weak against a newer comer gang in the US like TdA, it would destroy their baddest-of-the-bad reputation.”