The Chicago Police Department recently arrested more than 30 members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, a violent street organization originating from Venezuela. The gang members have been charged with various serious offenses, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, gun violence, and theft. However, despite these arrests, many of the gang members were quickly released back onto the streets, thanks to a controversial state law that eliminated cash bail in most cases.
This wave of arrests and subsequent releases has raised alarms among residents and law enforcement officials, with many questioning the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in holding dangerous individuals accountable. The gang, which has been linked to organized crime across several U.S. cities, continues to spread, and authorities fear that the situation in Chicago may spiral out of control.
According to reports from the New York Post, many of the gang members arrested in the past two years have been promptly freed due to the implementation of the SAFE-T Act, a law passed in Illinois that eliminated cash bail for a broad range of criminal offenses. The law, which was designed to reform the criminal justice system, has faced intense criticism from critics who argue that it allows dangerous criminals to reoffend while awaiting trial.
Among those arrested were Jonamer Barrios Moreno, a 27-year-old Venezuelan national, who illegally crossed into the United States near Brownsville, Texas, in 2023. After being released by the Biden administration into the U.S., Moreno made his way to Chicago, where he was arrested twice—once for a driving offense and again for domestic violence. He was released both times due to the new bail law.
Another example is Edwin Camejo, a 26-year-old gang member arrested in December for drug dealing. Despite his arrest, Camejo was released under the SAFE-T Act, only to be re-arrested in April of the following year for additional gang-related activity. Camejo had also entered the U.S. illegally in December 2022.
These releases have sparked outrage from both local and national leaders, with many accusing the Biden administration of failing to control the southern border and allowing criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua to infiltrate the country.
Gene Hamilton, the vice president and general counsel for America First Legal, condemned the current state of U.S. immigration policies. He stated that the Biden-Harris administration’s open-border policies have contributed to the rise in crime across American cities, particularly in areas like Chicago. Hamilton stressed that these policies have allowed criminal organizations to thrive, unchecked, across the United States.
“The American people need protection and accountability from those responsible for this mess,” Hamilton said. “We need an administration that prioritizes the safety and security of its citizens over unchecked migration and criminal activity.”
Chicago has become a focal point for concerns about gang violence, with a growing number of arrests of Venezuelans tied to organized criminal activity. The influx of migrants has fueled a surge in crimes such as retail theft, home invasions, and carjackings. With the Tren de Aragua gang firmly entrenched in Chicago, local activists fear that tensions between the migrant gang members and Chicago’s established criminal groups could ignite a deadly turf war.
Local Chicago activists are voicing concerns that the increasing presence of Tren de Aragua could lead to violent confrontations between the foreign criminals and local gangs. Former Chicago gang member Tyrone Muhammad warned of a looming crisis, stating that tensions between black gangs and these migrant gangs could escalate into violent gang warfare.
“When the black gangs here get fed up with the illegalities and criminal activities of these migrants, Chicago is going to go up in flames,” Muhammad said. “It’ll be blacks against migrants, and there won’t be anything the National Guard or the government can do about it when the bloodshed hits the streets.”
This potential for open gang violence is compounded by the growing number of Venezuelans entering the U.S. through the southern border, many of whom have ties to Tren de Aragua. These groups have already made their presence felt in other cities across the country, and their influence is beginning to spread across Chicago.
The situation in Chicago is part of a larger pattern seen across the country, where unvetted migrants are committing crimes ranging from theft to murder. Fox News border reporter Bill Melugin has highlighted the dangers posed by the Biden administration’s lax immigration policies, which have led to an increase in criminal activity. He pointed to several high-profile murder cases, including those of Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, Rachel Morin, and Kate Steinle, as tragic examples of the real-world consequences of the open-border policy.
As the Tren de Aragua gang continues to expand its criminal enterprise, Chicago residents are left grappling with the dangerous fallout. The influx of illegal migrants and the growing power of criminal organizations threaten to overwhelm the city’s already struggling law enforcement and judicial systems. With gang violence on the rise and tensions between local and migrant gangs simmering, the future of Chicago’s safety remains uncertain.
The release of dangerous gang members back onto the streets, combined with the ongoing flow of unvetted migrants across the southern border, has created a volatile situation in Chicago. As local authorities struggle to maintain control, residents fear that the city’s crime wave will only intensify, threatening the safety of communities across the region. While the SAFE-T Act was designed to reform the justice system, critics argue that it is inadvertently enabling the spread of organized crime and violence, particularly in areas already plagued by gang activity.
As the crisis continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether the city’s leadership will take action to address the growing threat posed by the Tren de Aragua gang and the rising tide of violent crime.
