Frank Tarentino, Special Agent in Charge of the New York division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), appeared on “Fox & Friends” to discuss recent immigration enforcement efforts under the Trump administration.
Working with its partners in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the DEA has focused its efforts on removing illegal drug traffickers from the community. Those multiagency operations led to multiple arrests, including the suspected leader of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA).
“This is a top priority from this administration, and the DEA has prioritized working with our partners to remove these violent offenders and keep our communities safe,” said Tarentino. “There’s a renewed focus to do more, to go after the most violent criminals that have violated our immigration laws, and hold those people accountable for driving violence in this city.”
In response to questions on how the DEA and its law enforcement partners determine their targets, Tarentino stated that these are data-driven intelligence operations, and many were targets of previous enforcement efforts. However, law enforcement had not had the opportunity and backing to hold them accountable until now.
To learn more about the TdA gang and the growing threat they pose to the United States, read “Tren de Aragua: The Growing Threat of Human Trafficking” by Traverse Project Community Engagement Manager Cyrus Norcross.