Republicans Push DHS on Gang Threat: 'Prevent Further Violence'

Newsweek

4 hours ago

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A new bill from House Republicans would force the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a threat assessment focused on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).
The Tren de Aragua Border Security Threat Assessment Act, introduced by Representative Brad Knott of North Carolina, would direct DHS to assess potential threats posed by members of the crime syndicate on the southwest, northern and maritime borders. It would also require the agency to develop a strategic response plan based on the findings of that assessment.
"I am proud to lead this legislation to bolster the Trump administration's efforts to identify and combat threats from this transnational criminal organization and prevent further violence," Knott told Newsweek in an exclusive statement.
Republican Representative Brad Knott of North Carolina posing for a portrait on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on November 15, 2024.
Republican Representative Brad Knott of North Carolina posing for a portrait on the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on November 15, 2024.
Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO via AP Images
Why It Matters
TdA, a transnational criminal organization formed in a Venezuelan prison, focuses on human trafficking and other abuses targeting vulnerable migrants. The gang made headlines during the 2024 election campaign after a viral video showed armed gang members storming an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
In February, Trump signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American groups, including TdA and MS-13, as terrorist organizations. The president's order said the groups threatened "the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere."
What To Know
The legislation requires the secretary of homeland security to submit a detailed threat assessment on the criminal organization's activities and risks at U.S. borders within one year of the bill's enactment.
This assessment would cover its origins, structure, methods and presence in the U.S. Within 180 days of submitting the assessment, the secretary must provide a strategic plan to counter the threats, focusing on coordination between federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to detect, disrupt and prevent the group's operations in the United States. The reports would be submitted to key congressional committees overseeing homeland security.
Representative Mark Green of Tennessee, the chair of the GOP-led Committee on Homeland Security, has backed the bill.
"I commend Rep. Knott for leading legislation that will ensure DHS has the right intelligence and preparation to keep accomplishing this mission and protect our communities," Green told Newsweek.
Some Republicans believe that individuals affiliated with TdA have taken advantage of the Biden-Harris administration's border policies and parole programs to enter the United States. They also believe that additional measures are necessary to address the threats associated with the gang.
In February, federal authorities arrested a suspected member of the TdA during a raid in Raleigh, North Carolina. On February 8, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended 24-year-old Venezuelan national Ricardo Granadillo-Padilla. He was wanted on federal charges related to illegally entering the United States three years earlier, according to a statement the agency released.
Customs and Border Protection apprehended 106 TdA members nationwide between March 2023 to May 2025, the agency's data showed.
According to a report by Telemundo, an American Spanish-language television network, the gang is believed to have about 5,000 members and makes annual profits of between $10 million and $15 million. TdA is accused of smuggling women and girls for sexual exploitation.
The gang has been connected to a series of high-profile crimes in the U.S. José Antonio Ibarra, the man sentenced to prison for the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, is a documented member.
In February, the Trump administration accused hundreds of migrants of being members of TdA and MS-13, citing tattoos as evidence.
Individuals were detained and swiftly deported under the Alien Enemies Act to El Salvador's notorious super prison, despite questions about the gang's actual presence and coordination in the U.S.
Immigration advocates have criticized the deportations as politically motivated and lacking due process. ICE has acknowledged that many of the migrants deported had no criminal records.
What People Are Saying
Representative Brad Knott, a Republican from North Carolina, told Newsweek: "As a former federal prosecutor, I worked with law enforcement to fight foreign criminals of every type. This included drug cartels, human traffickers, and gang members who came to our country illegally to enrich themselves through crime. I saw firsthand how the previous administration's efforts to fully open our borders empowered these criminals to wreak havoc on our country. The Biden-Harris administration endangered all Americans by opening the door for members of the gang and designated terrorist group Tren de Aragua to overrun our country—from North Carolina and Tennessee to Colorado. But their reign of terror is coming to an end."
Representative Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, told Newsweek: "The sadistic gang Tren de Aragua was allowed to take advantage of our country under the Biden-Harris administration's reckless, open-borders policies and mass-parole schemes—committing heinous acts of violence from Denver and Raleigh to Nashville. No American should have to live in fear of a transnational criminal organization in their communities, and I am grateful the Trump administration has empowered our federal law enforcement to dismantle the operations of TdA on U.S. soil."
What Happens Next
The bill is set to make its way through the legislative process and will likely pass in the Republican-controlled Congress.