In New York City, police are facing a troubling rise in gang activity tied to Venezuelan groups, and it’s causing major concerns. According to the NYPD, some gang members are targeting children living in migrant shelters, blending in with the wave of asylum seekers who’ve arrived in the city since 2022.
“These gang members commit crimes and then hide back in the migrant community, making it tough to track them down,” explained NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
One gang, in particular, has caught the NYPD’s attention: Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan group known for recruiting young kids. Police say they’ve identified 39 members of this gang so far, along with a subgroup called the Little Devils of 42nd Street, made up of even younger recruits. And these numbers? They’re just scratching the surface.
Tracking these criminals is a challenge. “We have no fingerprints, no photos, and no past records of them,” Kenny said. “They swap IDs constantly, so we don’t even know who they are when they enter the country.” What’s more, some of these kids—some as young as 11—are committing shocking crimes. They’re accused of stealing jewelry, watches, and phones at gunpoint or knifepoint, with incidents jumping from 300 last year to over 800 this year. There have even been cases where they’ve fired shots at police officers.
Here’s the kicker: when these gang members get caught, many have clean arrest records, so judges release them without bail. “They’re back on the streets in no time,” Kenny said.
For families staying in migrant shelters, this growing violence is terrifying. Parents, like Airada Pereira, who lives in Manhattan with her 11-year-old son, Dillan, are worried sick. “People have warned us to be careful because gangs are recruiting young kids,” Pereira said in Spanish. “I’m so scared he’ll get pulled into something bad.”
To protect her son, Pereira volunteers at a local church and keeps Dillan busy with positive activities. Meanwhile, community leaders like Power Malu are stepping up to help. Malu, co-founder of a group called Resources Opportunities Connections and Community, is running programs to keep kids away from gangs. One of their most successful efforts is a soccer club, where kids can play, make friends, and feel like they belong.
“Soccer gives these kids a chance to have fun and stay off the streets,” Malu said. So far, more than 60 kids between ages 5 and 14 have joined, including Dillan. “I don’t want to be like those gang members,” Dillan said. “I want to help people and be good.”
But Malu says the city needs to do more. With nearly 22,000 migrant kids in shelters—38% of the total migrant population—there aren’t enough resources or programs to keep them engaged. “These kids are looking for something to do, and gangs see them as easy targets,” Malu explained.
It’s not just kids being affected. Gangs are also preying on migrant families themselves. Many victims are too scared to speak out, fearing it might lead to deportation or trouble with the law. “A lot of these migrants are victims of crimes, but they’re hesitant to report it,” Kenny said.
The NYPD is teaming up with federal authorities to crack down on these gangs and stop the violence from spreading. But they also want people to understand: it’s only a small number of migrants causing these problems. Most of the migrant community is just trying to live peacefully and build a better life.
