Feds Arrest 22 Suspected Tren de Aragua Members After Tracking GPS Ankle Monitor
Federal agents executed a high-stakes raid on a Bronx apartment on Dec. 5, leading to the arrest of 22 individuals linked to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).
The operation, carried out by the NYPD and Homeland Security Investigations, uncovered a safehouse where the gang had been hiding. The raid came after authorities tracked an ankle monitor worn by 28-year-old Jarwin Valero-Calderon, one of the key suspects, who had been under supervision due to a string of prior criminal arrests, the New York Post reports.
Valero-Calderon’s ankle monitor proved crucial in locating the hideout, ultimately leading to the dismantling of a significant part of TdA’s New York operations. The gang has been steadily expanding its reach across the U.S., particularly since 2022, following the wave of illegal immigration.
Law enforcement officials have raised concerns that the gang has used taxpayer-funded migrant shelters to recruit new members and grow its illicit operations. TdA is involved in a wide array of criminal activities, including violent theft, robbery, drug and gun trafficking and human trafficking.
“What we’re seeing is this evolution of Tren de Aragua, where they’ve gone into these sanctuary cities. They’ve started to solidify themselves and then they throw tentacles out to multiple other locations where they think that they can continue to make money,” said former Denver ICE chief John Fabbricatore.
“I think people are finally starting to realize how bad the situation has gotten.“
Despite being under supervision, Valero-Calderon had continued his criminal activities. His past includes multiple arrests in Nassau County, New York, a conviction, and a deportation order. Law enforcement sources have criticized the lack of proper monitoring for individuals under supervised release.
“Better late than never,” one law enforcement source remarked, noting that Valero-Calderon had evaded capture multiple times before the December raid.
Along with Valero-Calderon, several other gang members were taken into custody, many of whom had lengthy criminal records. Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, 24, was among those arrested. Cardozo had been arrested at least four times across two states after entering the U.S. through El Paso in September 2022.
His criminal history includes charges of grand larceny, reckless endangerment, and robbery in New York City. Cardozo was also linked to an arrest for shoplifting in South Carolina in June 2023.
Another individual arrested in the raid was 30-year-old Jesus Manuel Quintero Granado. After entering the U.S. through El Paso in 2022, Granado traveled to Canada with his wife and child. However, Canadian authorities denied the family’s asylum request, and they were returned to the U.S. in September 2023. Granado was subsequently arrested multiple times for shoplifting and grand larceny in New Jersey and New York.
Also apprehended was 19-year-old Angel Gabriel Marquez Rodriguez, who had entered the U.S. in September 2023. Rodriguez had been released pending a court date but was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago just two months later. He was later taken into custody again in New York City in 2024 on larceny charges.
Fernandez Franco Greymer De Dios, 22, who had claimed asylum after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, was arrested for violating a deportation order. His involvement with TdA further highlighted the gang’s growing influence in the U.S. as it recruits from among vulnerable migrant populations.
The operation, carried out by the NYPD and Homeland Security Investigations, uncovered a safehouse where the gang had been hiding. The raid came after authorities tracked an ankle monitor worn by 28-year-old Jarwin Valero-Calderon, one of the key suspects, who had been under supervision due to a string of prior criminal arrests, the New York Post reports.
Valero-Calderon’s ankle monitor proved crucial in locating the hideout, ultimately leading to the dismantling of a significant part of TdA’s New York operations. The gang has been steadily expanding its reach across the U.S., particularly since 2022, following the wave of illegal immigration.
Law enforcement officials have raised concerns that the gang has used taxpayer-funded migrant shelters to recruit new members and grow its illicit operations. TdA is involved in a wide array of criminal activities, including violent theft, robbery, drug and gun trafficking and human trafficking.
“What we’re seeing is this evolution of Tren de Aragua, where they’ve gone into these sanctuary cities. They’ve started to solidify themselves and then they throw tentacles out to multiple other locations where they think that they can continue to make money,” said former Denver ICE chief John Fabbricatore.
“I think people are finally starting to realize how bad the situation has gotten.“
Despite being under supervision, Valero-Calderon had continued his criminal activities. His past includes multiple arrests in Nassau County, New York, a conviction, and a deportation order. Law enforcement sources have criticized the lack of proper monitoring for individuals under supervised release.
“Better late than never,” one law enforcement source remarked, noting that Valero-Calderon had evaded capture multiple times before the December raid.
Along with Valero-Calderon, several other gang members were taken into custody, many of whom had lengthy criminal records. Jhonaiker Alexander Gil Cardozo, 24, was among those arrested. Cardozo had been arrested at least four times across two states after entering the U.S. through El Paso in September 2022.
His criminal history includes charges of grand larceny, reckless endangerment, and robbery in New York City. Cardozo was also linked to an arrest for shoplifting in South Carolina in June 2023.
Another individual arrested in the raid was 30-year-old Jesus Manuel Quintero Granado. After entering the U.S. through El Paso in 2022, Granado traveled to Canada with his wife and child. However, Canadian authorities denied the family’s asylum request, and they were returned to the U.S. in September 2023. Granado was subsequently arrested multiple times for shoplifting and grand larceny in New Jersey and New York.
Also apprehended was 19-year-old Angel Gabriel Marquez Rodriguez, who had entered the U.S. in September 2023. Rodriguez had been released pending a court date but was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago just two months later. He was later taken into custody again in New York City in 2024 on larceny charges.
Fernandez Franco Greymer De Dios, 22, who had claimed asylum after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, was arrested for violating a deportation order. His involvement with TdA further highlighted the gang’s growing influence in the U.S. as it recruits from among vulnerable migrant populations.
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