Migrant Crime: Is it a Treasonable Offense?

Treason- In the United States, treason is confined to the actual levying of war against the United States, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort (Noah Webster, 1828).

Image by Fox News via https://www.foxnews.com/us/aurora-police-react-alleged-venezuelan-gang-member-presence-apartments-have-not-taken-over

Under the Biden and Harris administration, millions of illegal immigrants have flooded into the United States. It is estimated that $150.7 billion dollars was spent in 2023 to house, feed, clothe, jail, adjudicate, care for, and shelter 22 million immigrants, giving each illegal immigrant $8,776 per year (Arrington, 2024).

President Biden and Vice President Harris’ open border policies have resulted in a crime wave across our nation, including drug trafficking and terrorist apprehensions. Table 1 depicts how the Southwest Border of the United States has changed since Biden and Harris have taken office (Arrington, 2024).

Table 1

How the Southwest Border Has Changed Since Biden Took Office

Table 1	Trump/Pence 2017-2021	Biden/Harris 2021-Present	Percent Change
Fentanyl Seizures	10,312 lbs	68,268 lbs	562% increase
Apprehensions	3,004,925 illegal immigrants	10,242,502 illegal immigrants	241% increase
Terrorist Watchlist Apprehensions	11 Terrorists	362 Terrorists	3,190% increase

Note. Table data by Arrington via https://budget.house.gov/press-release/president-bidens-180-on-border-security-political-showmanship-and-broken-promises#:~:text=The%20open%20border%20policies%20under,is%20leaving%20them%20more%20vulnerable

Criminals from other parts of the world are crossing the Southwest border of the US and infiltrating its cities. Tren de Aragua (TdA) is a prison gang from Venezuela that has become transnational and are now imbedded within US cities and towns across the nation. Criminal activities that TdA commit include extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, migrant smuggling, contraband, illegal mining, retail drug trafficking, cybercrime, and theft (InSight Crime, 2024).

Texas: Recently, TdA made news in El Paso, TX for criminal activities in a downtown hotel. Over the past two years there have been 693 calls for police to investigate the Gateway Hotel. There are videos capturing TdA gang members drinking, smoking, and dancing provocatively with children around (KFOX14, 2024). The video also shows a man firing a gun, and men that are holding knives and a hatchet assaulting one another in front of a security guard (KFOX14, 2024).  

From an officer’s statement, he reports “continuous incidents of criminal activity [has increased] with the introduction of Tren de Aragua organization into the hotel” (KFOX14, 2024). From another police report, a police officer noted that the people at the Gateway Hotel have tattoos specific to TdA gang members (KFOX14, 2024).  

New York: The New York National Guard were advised to check all migrants arriving for tattoos distinctive to the vicious gang Tren De Aragua (McCarthy & Fitz-Gibbon, 2024). The NYPD has issued a “Situational Awareness Alert” warning that this brutal prison gang from Venezuela has now embedded itself in the five boroughs in New York. One New York National Guardsman stated, “It’s to a point that they had to post policies on use of force like if we were in a combat zone” (McCarthy & Fitz-Gibbon, 2024).

“Given the potential threat posed by TdA’s growing presence in the city, the [NYPD Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Bureau] recommends members of the service maintain situational awareness of symbols and iconography used by the gang to identify local activity and trends,” the alert said (McCarthy & Fitz-Gibbon, 2024).

“Should you identify any of the symbols or iconography below and would like real-time assistance, please coordinate with your precinct Field Intelligence Team” (McCarthy & Fitz-Gibbon, 2024).

Images by New York Post via https://nypost.com/2024/02/14/us-news/national-guard-urged-to-check-migrants-arriving-in-nyc-for-tren-de-aragua-tattoos-as-gangs-numbers-grow-stateside/

Colorado: Tren de Aragua has also been terrorizing locals in Aurora, CO. Aurora is a suburb of Denver, CO which is considered a Sanctuary City. It is important to note that sanctuary policies prevent federal authorities from locating, arresting, and prosecuting illegal immigrants (What is a Sanctuary State?, n.d.). Given the status of Colorado being a Sanctuary State, local police departments have been downplaying and even denying the extent to which local residents claim that TdA has been overtaking their apartment building (Taer, 2024).

However, journalist from The Post established that a top Tren de Aragua gang member was based in Aurora, whose nickname is “Cookie”. Homeland Security sources told The Post that Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirinos (AKA: Galleta=Cookie) and other TdA gang members allegedly brutally beat a man at the Aurora apartment complex and shot another man (Taer, 2024).

A tenant of the Edge at Lowry apartment complex named Jessica Montenegro, had to flee with her young family because TdA was terrorizing residents with gun crime, theft, and drug dealing (Taer, 2024). Jessica said she decided it was time to leave when a man whom had a gun in his waistband knocked on her door and tried to get in (Taer, 2024).

Footage captured at the Edge of Lowry apartments in Aurora show armed men with assault rifles making their way up a staircase before breaking down doors. The gang members of Tren de Aragua in Aurora focus on human trafficking and has been accused of smuggling women and girls for sexual exploitation (Rahman, 2024).

Even after videos and testimonials, Aurora Police Department Interim Chief Heather Morris stated, “gang members have not taken over” the complex (Rahman, 2024). Contrastingly, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman announced that they are starting the process of clearing out apartment complexes where the transnational gang Tren de Aragua has taken over (Price, 2024).

Illinois: A former gang member ‘Trenches News’ stated in an interview that migrant Venezuelan gangs are terrorizing locals in Chicago. He proclaims that they are walking around the streets with machetes, high powered firearms, and other weapons (Logan, 2024). These Venezuelan gangs have been linked to robberies, murders, kidnappings. He went on to say that they are even finding women in trashcans and garbage bins. Trenches News boldly places the blame for these terroristic behaviors on the Biden-Harris administration with their open border policies (DJVLAD, 2024).  

A police recording in Chicago has been released where the dispatcher is requesting police to go to an apartment building where 32 Venezuelan migrants have taken over the building. You can hear the dispatcher explain that “32 Venezuelans are trespassing the building, showing guns in the courtyard, and they have motorcycles in the courtyard as well as all stairwells are filled” (Libs of TikTok, 2024).

The United States border policies under the Biden-Harris administration has led to a surge of migrant crime. The Biden-Harris administration is giving them aid while neglecting its own citizens. Crime is unbridled and the federal government has misplaced its allegiance to the United States citizens, which is the definition of treason.

By Dr. Brittney Henkel – The Purple Truth

Published on September 16, 2024

References:

Arrington, J. (2024, June 5). President Biden’s 180 on border security: Political showmanship and broken promises. House Budget Committee. https://budget.house.gov/press-release/president-bidens-180-on-border-security-political-showmanship-and-broken-promises#:~:text=The%20open%20border%20policies%20under,is%20leaving%20them%20more%20vulnerable

DJVLAD. (2024, August 19). Trenches news on blaming Venezuelan immigrants for crime in Chicago (Part 19). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5xrNXUgyjQ&t=127s

InSight Crime. (2024, July 12). Tren de Aragua. InSight Crime. https://insightcrime.org/venezuela-organized-crime-news/tren-de-aragua/

 KFOX14. (2024, September 10). Gateway Hotel faces legal action over alleged 'Tren De Aragua' gang activity, violations. KFOX14. https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/el-pasos-gateway-hotel-faces-legal-action-over-alleged-gang-activity-safety-violations

Libs of TikTok. [@libsoftiktok]. (2024, September 2). [Chicago 911 Dispatch Call-Venezuelan Immigrants Taken Over Apartments Video] [Post]. X.com. https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1830807423206015453

Logan, A. B. (2024). Former gang member says Venezuelan migrants are terrorizing Chicago locals. ABL. https://anthonyblogan.com/former-gang-member-says-venezuelan-migrants-are-terrorizing-chicago-locals/

McCarthy, C., & Fitz-Gibbon, J. (2024, February 14). National Guard urged to check migrants arriving in NYC for ‘Tren de Aragua’ tattoos as gang’s numbers grow stateside. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/02/14/us-news/national-guard-urged-to-check-migrants-arriving-in-nyc-for-tren-de-aragua-tattoos-as-gangs-numbers-grow-stateside/

Mischief. [@4Mischief]. (2024, September 3). [Sanctuary City Officers Will Not Arrest or Report Illegal Immigrants for Crimes Video] [Post]. X.com. https://x.com/4Mischief/status/1831110051811000670?t=RTDVMmxGwv5M_qUJPYaCdQ&s=01

Price, S. (2024, August 31). Aurora police react to alleged Venezuelan gang presence at apartments: 'Have not taken over'. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/aurora-police-react-alleged-venezuelan-gang-member-presence-apartments-have-not-taken-over

Rahman, B. (2024, September 2). Cops to clear apartments 'overrun' with Venezuelan gangs. [Video]. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/cops-clear-complex-overrun-venesuelan-gangs-1947400

Taer, J. (2024, September 12). How Aurora, Colo., became a migrant gang war zone after Tren de Aragua took over apartment complexes in quiet suburb. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/09/12/us-news/inside-the-migrant-gang-warzone-of-aurora-colorado/

Trump, D. J. [@realDonaldTrump]. (2024, September 3). [Comrad Kamala's Migrant Crime Wave Video] [Post]. truthsocial.com. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113075741006584724

What is a sanctuary state? (n.d.) Federation For American Immigration Reform. https://www.fairus.org/issue/do-you-live-1-11-sanctuary-states