Bronx Raid Leads To Arrest Of Tren De Aragua Members

Seven suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang were arrested in the Bronx earlier this month after federal agents tracked an ankle monitor to a gang hideout. Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD conducted the raid on Dec. 5, uncovering a group tied to the Venezuelan criminal network.

The raid led to the arrest of 28-year-old Jarwin Valero-Calderon, whose court-ordered GPS monitor pinpointed the location. Valero-Calderon, a Venezuelan national, had a history of arrests, a deportation order, and a record of evading law enforcement.

Law enforcement officials criticized the system that allowed Valero-Calderon and others to remain free despite serious charges. “This is what actual supervised release looks like?” one source said.

Authorities say Tren de Aragua has taken advantage of Biden and Harris’ immigration policies, expanding operations into sanctuary cities across the U.S. The gang is implicated in drug trafficking, theft, and smuggling operations, often recruiting new members from migrant shelters.

Another suspect, Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and has been arrested multiple times. Suspects arrested in the raid included others with extensive criminal records, highlighting concerns over the impact of lenient immigration enforcement.

The gang’s juvenile branch, “Diablos de la 42,” has also drawn attention for recent robberies in Times Square. Many young members, some as young as 11, remain free due to weak juvenile detention laws, officials said.