Republicans in Congress grill Biden administration on rise of Tren De Aragua in their state
Members of Missouri’s congressional delegation are demanding answers from the president about violent Tren De Aragua (TdA) Venezuelan prison gang members in the state.TdA gang members have been accused of committing brutal violence, murder, kidnapping, extortion, bribery and human and drug trafficking, and are linked to more than 100 law enforcement investigations nationwide, The Center Square reported.In late October, federal officials confirmed that TdA members were not only in Clinton County, in the northwest part of Missouri, but federal authorities advised local law enforcement officers to release them into the community.After performing a traffic stop and contacting Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the officers learned the men they stopped included one known and one suspected TdA member.Both were in the country illegally.One had been apprehended in September 2023 and was awaiting a federal immigration court hearing.
The other has an order for removal and is subject to mandatory detention but wasn’t detained.“Despite the threat these individuals pose to the citizens of Missouri, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel contacted local law enforcement personnel and advised that they release the individuals in question because Venezuela refused to accept them,” the lawmakers wrote.The administration “reportedly directed local law enforcement in Missouri to release a known member of [TdA] due to Venezuela’s refusal to cooperate on deportation cases.”The Biden administration terminated or let expire previous agreements made between certain countries and the Trump administration that required them to accept their citizens who were ordered to be removed from the US.Under Biden, not all countries cooperate or accept their citizens’ return as part of the US deportation process, federal authorities have explained to The Center Square.The delegation, led by Rep.
Sam Graves, whose district includes Clinton...