'Los Diablos de la 42': Tren de Aragua subset made up of minors threatens New York

El Tren de Aragua remains a serious threat. Now, a dangerous subset of the Venezuelan criminal group is worrying authorities in New York City.

The gang is a sub-group of the Tren de Aragua called Diablos de la 42. Police officials in the city explained that they are working to arrest members of the gang who have been linked to numerous robberies and other crimes in the city.

Authorities indicated that the group is made up of approximately 20 criminals, some of whom are as young as 11 years old. The situation has raised concerns about the way in which the Venezuelan gang is challenging other Latino gangs, something that could end in a "turf war."

In addition, they are not afraid to show off their criminal activities. Gang members often upload photographs of their firearms to social media. Los Diablos de la 42 have gone from carrying out random robberies to using knives and firearms in their crimes.

"Back in June, we saw them committing robberies in and around Central Park. And obviously, Central Park is our crown jewel — thanks to a great influx of police and a great response, both by patrol and influx of officers, we displaced them, and they ventured over to the pedestrian walkway of the world right here in Times Square," Deputy Chief of Detectives Jason Savino explained to amNewYork Metro.

El Tren de Aragua uses minors due to the fact that they cannot be detained. The Diablos operate from shelters for illegal immigrants in the city. Likewise, Savino pointed out that this information is not unknown to the New York Police Department and there are even minors who have been arrested several times but were finally released due to their young age.

"Truth be told, we need help. It’s a multi-layered approach. From a police standpoint, we’re doing all we can. We need help from the judges, the judges ultimately decide that fate," Savino said.

"We are tremendously worried, bullets have no names. I started off by saying this is the pedestrian walkway of the world. If bullets fly down here, it certainly is a recipe for disaster. That being said, we have the best detectives in the world working this, and we will have success," Savino said.

The information about Los Diablos de la 42 has emerged at a time when, under the Biden-Harris administration, instances of forced labor and child sex trafficking have tripled compared to levels recorded during Donald Trump's time in office.