Tren de Aragua (TdA) is a formidable transnational criminal organization originating from Venezuela, once effectively headquartered within Tocorón prison under the leadership of Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as "Niño Guerrero," until a 2023 security raid saw the leadership escape. Capitalizing on the mass migration of Venezuelans, the gang has expanded its operations extensively throughout Latin America and into the United States, becoming a significant challenge for numerous countries.
In the U.S., President Donald Trump initiated its designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on January 20, 2025, taking effect on February 20, 2025. Following this, in March 2025, his administration ordered the deportation of alleged TdA members, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a move temporarily halted by legal challenges. This aggressive response, which included comparisons to Al-Qaeda, comes as the U.S. uses a detailed point-based system to identify alleged TdA members, primarily targeting Venezuelan nationals aged 14 and older without U.S. citizenship or residency. Experts like Keymer Ávila note the political dimensions of both Trump's narrative and Venezuela's handling of the crisis, amidst widespread stigmatization of migrants.