Chicago January 24, 2025
In a significant move, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to crack down on the violent Venezuelan migrant gang “Tren de Aragua” (TdA), which has been wreaking havoc in American cities. This gang, with ties to Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, has been accused of using asymmetric warfare to spread chaos and discord in the US.
The executive order, titled “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists,” instructs Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate TdA, as well as Mexican gang MS-13 and other migrant gangs, as “foreign terrorist organizations.” This designation would grant the government broader powers to target these groups and disrupt their operations.
Experts have praised the move, with Jose Gustavo Arocha, a former high-ranking Venezuelan military official, calling it an “extraordinary move” and a “first good step” towards neutralizing TdA. The order declares a national emergency, citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEP), to address the “unusual and extraordinary threat” posed by these groups to US national security, foreign policy, and economy.
The order tasks Rubio with making policy recommendations within 14 days, in consultation with other top officials, to designate TdA, MS-13, and other groups as foreign terrorist organizations. This move marks a significant escalation in the US government’s efforts to combat these violent gangs and protect American citizens.
