MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Police Department (MPD) has confirmed two reports of Venezuelan gang activity in the area.
David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), told the governor during a budget hearing that the Venezuelan gang, "Tren de Aragua" (TDA), is now active "in every major city in our state."
TDA, a criminal organization that has gained national attention this year, originated in a Venezuelan prison and is notorious for its involvement in human trafficking, drug trafficking and theft rings.
The FBI has confirmed the gang's presence in the U.S. Rausch shared that TBI's first encounter with the group was in 2023 during a human trafficking investigation.
“In that operation, we recognized a number of the members here trafficking females that they had abducted from Venezuela and brought them here," he said. "We were able to capture them and they were out of Tennessee.”
Rausch also referenced recent intelligence indicating that the gang has returned to Tennessee and is likely to expand its activities into other illegal operations.
A spokesperson with MPD shared that two incidents involving TDA have been reported in Memphis.
Officers found graffiti in the Appling Farms Station area in 2023, and on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Luis Alejandro (Ruiz-Godoy), who had outstanding warrants through Interpol. Officials confirmed that he was taken to Louisiana for deportation.
"Investigators with the Memphis Police Department have been, and will continue to be, in close contact with our local, state and federal partners regarding any new developments involving Venezuelan gangs," MPD stated.
