No-Go Zones bring a touch of Paris and Malmo to the U.S.

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The Washington Examiner provides background:

What is Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang running amok in Colorado?

Venezuela‘s largest criminal gang, Tren de Aragua, is wreaking havoc in Colorado, driving national attention.

The group revolutionized crime in Venezuela and across Latin America, in the words of author Ronna Risquez, running the country from prisons and extending its reach across the Western Hemisphere. In several areas, the gang has taken complete control, usurping government authority.

One unique feature of the group is its origins as a prison gang — the entire gang was run out of the Tocoron prison, which, prior to its storming by the Venezuelan army in 2023, had been turned into a luxury palace replete with swimming pools, a baseball field, and a zoo. Before the raids, more than half of the country’s prisons were controlled by gangs, the New York Times reported.

The leader of Tren de Aragua, Héctor “El Niño” Guerrero Flores, escaped the prison before the storming and is still on the loose. The Department of State and the Department of Justice are offering up to $5 million for information regarding his whereabouts. He is believed to reside somewhere in Colombia.

While in prison, Guerrero Flores extended the gang’s reach across the continent, recently expanding into North America and the United States.

The New York Post reported that the gang has been linked to more than 100 crimes across the U.S. Among the litany of crimes the group is known for are human trafficking, sex trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, drug dealing, murder, money laundering, contract killings, smuggling, and other types of theft.

One of the group’s tentacles extended to Aurora, Colorado, where the gang is making its presence known.