Duval Times

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) led a letter alongside colleagues, urging President Joe Biden to designate formally the Tren de Aragua as a Transnational Criminal Organization.

“The Tren de Aragua is a criminal invading army from a Venezuelan prison that has extended its brutality and chaos to cities and small towns in the U.S. If left unchecked, they will unleash an unprecedented reign of terror, one that reflects the devastation that the Tren de Aragua has already inflicted on communities in Central and South America, especially in countries like Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. The breadth of the Tren de Aragua's operations includes murders, drug and human trafficking, sexual crimes, extortion, and kidnapping, among many other brutalities.”

Rubio, Salazar, and a group of other senators and representatives, including Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and John Cornyn (R-TX), among others, signed the letter urging for the designation.

In a recent interview with Carines Moncada on América Radio 1260 AM, Rubio gave an exclusive preview of the bicameral letter.

The Tren de Aragua is a well-known transnational criminal organization that originated in Venezuelan prisons and has spread throughout the hemisphere. This criminal structure has led to macabre murders, been involved in bribery schemes, engaged in drug trafficking, kidnappings, arms trafficking, and money laundering.

The letter in English text can be found here.