President-Elect Donald Trump has promised to tackle a problem President Joe Biden has whiffed on: Wiping out violent Venezuelan gangs.
Over 800,000 Venezuelan migrants have entered the U.S. in the past four years, including members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang.
Deportation efforts halted in January after Venezuela refused to accept flights, leaving the Biden administration unable to deport identified criminals.
Trump has vowed to pursue mass deportations, with his border czar, Tom Homan, suggesting sanctions and aid withholding could pressure Venezuela into compliance, the New York Post reported.
“He got El Salvador to take back MS-13, he got Mexico to agree to the Remain in Mexico program. So I got faith in President Trump to work with the president of Venezuela,” Homan told the Post.
Options for cracking down on violent Venezuelan migrants include:
- Sanction and pull national aid to Venezuela.
- Forcefully deport members of Tren de Aragua by boats that land on Venezuelan shores.
- Pay or partner with another country to house the deported Venezuelans.
Millions of Venezuelans have fled their collapsing economy under President Nicolás Maduro, and U.S. policies granting temporary protected status and work permits have further incentivized migration.
Tren de Aragua exploited the influx by posing as asylum seekers, with members avoiding signature tattoos to evade detection at the border. Former ICE chief Ron Vitiello told the Post the gang’s presence only became apparent during the Biden administration, marking a shift in border security challenges.
The gang now operates in at least 16 U.S. states, committing serious crimes, including the murder of a Georgia nursing student.
The moratorium on Venezuelan deportations has allowed even identified gang members, including Niefred Serpa-Acosta, to remain in the country. Despite admitting to gang affiliation and having tattoos to prove it, Serpa-Acosta was released and later involved in a violent crime spree in Colorado.
The lack of deportation options poses ongoing security risks, with gang members exploiting legal and enforcement gaps.