Tren de Aragua and the American Dream

On September 2, 2025, the United States carried out a military airstrike on a boat allegedly carrying drugs in the southern Caribbean’s international waters. The Trump administration claimed the strike killed 11 members of Tren de Aragua, which it called a “narco-terrorist” group.

Since taking office earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump has cast Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, as one of the greatest threats to American security. With fiery speeches and legislation like the Laken Riley Act, he’s linked the gang to migrant crime and violence. The United States has labeled the group a terrorist organization and accused it of mounting an invasion, and the recent strike is significant escalation allegedly against the gang.

But is the reality as dire as the rhetoric?

This narrated story is a chapter from InSight Crime’s latest in-depth investigation on Tren de Aragua, the product of three years of on-the-ground reporting across various countries. The investigation sheds new light on the reality of Tren de Aragua — how it has evolved, how it currently operates, and how it might change in the future.

Tren de Aragua and the American Dream | Written by the Venezuela Investigative Unit and read by Liza Schmidt.

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