The Aragua Train Members’ Strategy to Avoid Being Identified in the U.S. and Mexico

According to authorities, they observed that the Venezuelan criminal gang now avoids marking themselves with the gang’s traditional tattoos.

Tattoos and symbols of members of the Tren de Aragua. Credit: Texas Department of Public Safety. | Courtesy
After the authorities of the United States and Mexico intensified their security operations against the criminal organization of Venezuelan origin Tren de Aragua, members of the prison gang have begun to use tactics to avoid being identified. Known for tattooing symbols that represent their hierarchy and loyalty, members of this group are choosing to hide, modify or remove these designs from their skin to avoid being recognized by the authorities.

Gilberto Loya, Secretary of Security of Chihuahua, confirmed to the media that “the oldest gang members do have some type of tattoos, such as a train or the silhouette of Michael Jordan, but the new ones no longer do.”

In the border sectors of Texas, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) indicated that the concealment of these symbols is part of a “counterintelligence strategy” that seeks to evade arrest.

The Venezuelan gang’s tattoos include specific symbols, such as stars that indicate rank, crowns that resemble those of other gangs, and phrases such as “Real Hasta la Muerte” and “Hijos de Dios,” as detailed in a DPS report.

Tren de Aragua expansion and collaboration in northern Mexico
The Tren de Aragua expanded its operations in Mexico, mainly on the northern border. In Chihuahua, a state bordering Texas, members of the gang partnered with Mexican cartels such as La Línea and La Empresa, who participate in migrant trafficking and kidnapping and extortion activities, according to Secretary Loya.

Chihuahua authorities, in coordination with the U.S. Border Patrol, created a special group to investigate the gang and its growing involvement in border criminal activity.

The activity of the Tren de Aragua was detected in several states in the United States, including Texas and Illinois, where the criminal gang continues its strategy of hiding and associating with other local criminal groups.

In this context, the Texas government declared the Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, allowing for a more forceful approach in police operations.

Last September, Governor Greg Abbott announced the creation of a special group to identify and arrest its members and offered rewards of up to $5,000 for useful information.

In response to this threat, the Department of Homeland Security also began investigations to track the gang’s activities in the United States. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson indicated that those members of the organization who are identified in the United States face prosecution or deportation.

In addition, the United States Treasury Department began blocking properties and assets associated with the gang in the United States, in an attempt to limit its financial resources and operational capacity. This series of measures demonstrates the seriousness of the threat posed by the Tren de Aragua on U.S. soil and reinforces surveillance efforts in border areas to intercept migrants linked to this organization.

Written by: Oscar El Blue

El DPS de Texas ya logró detener a algunos integrantes del Tren de Aragua