[Karah]

TREN DE ARAGUA – A VIOLENT VENEZUELAN GANG – HAS BEEN MAKING HEADLINES OVER ITS GROWING PRESENCE IN THE U.S. –

FROM APARTMENT SHOOTOUTS IN AURORA COLORADO –

TO KINDAPPINGS AND MURDERS NEAR DALLAS TEXAS LINKED TO THE GANG.

NOW TREN DE ARAGUA HAS A PRESENCE “IN EVERY MAJOR CITY IN TENNESSEE” ACCORDING TO THE STATE’S BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION.

TBI Director David Rausch addressed the growing threat during a budget meeting with Governor Bill Lee THIS WEEK –

WARNING THERE’S BEEN AN UPTICK IN GANG ACTIVITY OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

OFFICIALS SAY THIS GANG FORMED INSIDE VENEZUELAN PRISONS –

AND STARTED TO SHOW UP IN TENNESSEE NEIGHBORHOODS TWO YEARS AGO.

BUT NOW – THE TBI DIRECTOR SAYS – THE GANG IS MAKING THEIR PRESENCE KNOWN ACROSS CITIES LIKE MEMPHIS AND NASHVILLE.

OFFICIALS ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED OVER HUMAN TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN – AND VIOLENCE BETWEEN TREN DE ARAGUA AND THE CARTEL SPILLING ONTO THE STREETS.

“They are back in all of our major cities. They are running human trafficking operations, that is where they start.

“They will and they have taken on the cartel head on, and they’re very violent in their efforts.”

RAUSCH SAYS ONE LOCAL EXAMPLE IS TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS FILMING THEMSELVES EXECUTING A CARTEL MEMBER – SHOOTING HIM 31 TIMES –

THEN SHARING THE VIDEO ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA.

“They will not hesitate to attack their opponents in public and in broad daylight.”

WHILE MEMPHIS AND NASHVILLE HAVE CONFIRMED REPORTS OF THE GANG IN THEIR CITIES –

KNOXVILLE POLICE SAY THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THE GANG’S ACTIVITIES LOCALLY.

RAUSH SAYS TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS WERE ONCE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE BY THEIR TATTOOS –

BUT ARE NOW CHANGING THEIR APPEARANCES TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR INVESTIGATORS TO KNOW IF A CRIMINAL IS LINKED TO THE GANG.

TBI SAYS IT IS WORKING WITH OTHER STATES TO MONITOR THE GANG’S MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE U.S.

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