NYPD targets Tren de Aragua for recruiting migrant children to commit crimes

The New York Police Department (NYPD) took aim at Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal gang, for recruiting migrant children to commit crimes in the city. The investigation comes in the context of increasing juvenile delinquency, which worries both neighbors and authorities in New York City.

According to NYPD Chief of Detectives, Joseph Kenny, they have already identified 39 members of the Venezuelan gang involved, as well as four other members of a sub-group called Little Devils of 42nd Street.

"We have no fingerprints on file for them. We have no photographs on file for them. We have no prior criminal history on them. They swap out their IDs. We have no way of tracking or knowing who they are when they enter the country," he added.

Tren de Aragua is now recruiting children living in migrant shelters, with the objective of adding them to their criminal network.

"Once they commit their crimes, they return to the migrant community, where they assimilate with people who are actually here obeying the laws," Kenny added.

He also pointed out that they are arresting offenders as young as 11 years old for stealing phones, watches and even jewelry, while using knives or firearms. In fact, according to CBS, there were more than 300 such incidents in 2023 and more than 800 so far in 2024.

"When we do make arrests and we're able to charge them on four, five, six incidents, when they go before a judge in New York City, and their arrest record is run, they show no prior criminal history. They're released on their own recognizance. They're not offered bail and they're released back into the public," Kenny continued.

The plight of parents

CBS spoke with some families who were affected by Tren de Aragua in New York. One of them was that of Airada Pereira, who lives with her 11-year-old son in a shelter for immigrants in Manhattan.

"People have warned us to be careful with the child because they are recruiting younger children. It worries me a lot," Pereira told CBS.

"We are afraid he will get recruited and they will force and manipulate him to do bad things. Things that will get him into trouble," she added.

In these cases, Kenny explained that there is usually a fear of reporting by families for fear of retaliation by criminals. "What we are also seeing is the majority of the migrant community, sometimes themselves, are the victims of crimes. They are preyed upon by these gangs, and there's a reluctance to report it sometimes because they feel that that might get them deported or that might get them in trouble with the police," he said.