Tren de Aragua Gang Activities Lead to Arrests and New Mexico Prosecutor Attention
El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks addressed the growing threat of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) during a press conference on September 18, 2024. The Biden-Harris administration’s Department of the Treasury has issued warnings about the gang’s expansion throughout the Western Hemisphere, with an increasing presence in the Southwest United States.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned Tren de Aragua, citing its involvement in a range of criminal activities, including human smuggling, trafficking, gender-based violence, money laundering, and drug trafficking.
“The designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization highlights the growing danger it poses to American communities,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson. “As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to combat Transnational Criminal Organizations, we will use every tool available to target groups like Tren de Aragua, which exploit vulnerable populations and engage in criminal activities across borders.”
Following this designation, El Paso authorities arrested a 37-year-old woman, Estefania Primera, allegedly linked to Tren de Aragua. Primera, also known as “La Barbie,” has been charged with human trafficking for reportedly drugging a woman and forcing her into prostitution at an El Paso hotel. Primera remains in custody on a $200,000 bond after being arrested by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) investigators.
The investigation began after U.S. Border Patrol provided information about a woman, identified as Victim 1, who had been staying at an El Paso hotel. The victim told DPS special agents that Primera had approached her with a proposal to engage in prostitution. When she refused, Primera allegedly forced her to take a fentanyl-laced pill, causing her to lose consciousness.
Authorities have been investigating Tren de Aragua’s criminal activities in the region for months. In addition to Primera, another suspected gang member, 32-year-old Jorgenys Robertson Cova, was arrested in Houston. Cova, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, was wanted for theft in Pearland, Texas, and was discovered to have tattoos associated with Tren de Aragua. Cova was taken into custody by DPS agents and is currently in the Brazoria County Jail.
The gang, which originated as a prison group in Aragua, Venezuela, has been linked to criminal activity in both Colorado and El Paso. With New Mexico located between these two states, authorities warn that its presence in the state is highly likely.
“We’re in the middle of both these states,” said Special Agent Raul Bujanda in an interview with KOAT News. “To think there isn’t a presence in New Mexico would be foolish from a law enforcement perspective and for anyone living here.”
Tren de Aragua has been involved in drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and murder—crimes they engaged in back in Venezuela and now seek to replicate in the United States. Recent investigations into the gang’s activities have focused on locations like the Gateway Hotel in El Paso and an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
“While we may not see specific gang activities in New Mexico right now, we know these gang members are here,” Bujanda said. “They see opportunities to create chaos and profit in new areas.”