The Drug Enforcement Administration is weighing in on the Venezuelan gang in Tenn. cities

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — In Operation Crime and Justice, more questions arise after a FOX 17 news report that a well-known Venezuelan gang is invading Tennessee towns.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) used a state budget hearing this week to issue a warning about this brutal group. From human trafficking to retail crime and drug trafficking, TBI believes TDA will soon be a part of it all.

Starting in a Venezuelan prison, TBI says Tren de Aragua now operates in major US cities, including right here in Tennessee.

Carter Smith, with the Criminal Justice Department at MTSU, says the bigger the gang, the greater its influence, comparing TDA to MS-13. He adds: “They will continue to escalate the violence; they will find out what they are really, really good at.”

On Thursday, we asked the TBI a series of questions, including TDA arrest numbers statewide, as well as a list of cities in Tennessee where the gang has been seen the most. However, they did not answer these questions. Instead, a TBI spokesperson sent a lengthy statement:

“Like many law enforcement agencies across the country, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has raised concerns about the potential for criminality associated with Tren de Aragua (TdA), a prominent, violent Venezuelan transnational gang.

For context, the earliest crime in Tennessee the TBI has identified as TdA-related dates to a human trafficking case in 2023. At this time, intelligence suggests the gang is still predominantly involved in promoting human trafficking in Tennessee, but the known track record for the gang’s involvement in theft and drug crimes elsewhere continues to inform our concerted efforts to better understand and more consistently identify Tennessee crimes that can be linked to TdA.

In recent years, images of tattoos have been shared widely to identify those associated with the gang. However, current intelligence suggests that the gang may be less reliant on tattoos, so identifying those affiliated with the TdA may be difficult. Instead, TBI will remind the public of the warning signs of human trafficking itself, which can be found on www.ITHasToStop.com.”

“Generally, these other gangs will come in, work with the lower street gangs and work their way into the drug trade, which we expect will happen with TDA,” says Matthew Daly.

With a strong background across the globe, we caught up with this former Border Patrol agent and current Assistant Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Matthew Daly says there are no current cases involving the TDA, but overall he has noticed greater involvement in the Nashville drug trade.

He adds, “Our role, from the DEA perspective, is to dismantle an entire organization from start to finish.”

The TBI says TDA is harder to identify because the criminal group relies less on tattoos and instead encourages the public to look for warning signs of human trafficking. The DEA says drug trafficking warning signs can include constant foot or vehicle traffic or different license plates.

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