‘Red button’ at the ready? Venezuelan gangs are waging war inside America

Warfare often brings to mind tanks, planes, and bombs. However, today’s most dangerous threats don’t always arrive with the sound of explosions. Instead, they hide in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Experts call this “asymmetric warfare,” where enemies attack from the periphery, using unpredictable, low-tech methods designed to bypass traditional defenses.

Asymmetric warfare isn’t just a foreign issue; it’s happening on American soil, facilitated by the Biden administration’s failure at the southern border. Through its open-border policy, the administration has allowed — intentionally or not — a “red button” threat to form within our borders. This capability could lie dormant for years, waiting for the right moment to strike. The Washington Post recently referred to Israel’s pager attack on Hezbollah as a “red button” strike. Hezbollah had no idea they carried the threat in their pockets until it was too late. What dormant threats are we facing on our own soil?

Our enemies are exploiting our weaknesses, using our own systems and laws against us.

The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua poses one of the most alarming threats we face, serving as the key to our “red button.” It is taking advantage of the Biden-Harris border crisis to infiltrate the U.S., causing chaos nationwide. From the violent seizure of apartment buildings in Aurora, Colorado, to the murder of Laken Riley in Georgia to attacks on New York City police officers, Tren de Aragua is building a hidden criminal empire in immigrant shelters across the country.

This gang isn't merely a criminal network — it collaborates with the Venezuelan government. “Insight Crime” reports that Tren de Aragua is integral to Venezuela’s “hybrid governance system,” in which the gang enforces the will of the Maduro regime, much like militant civilian groups that crush political dissent. Its activities go beyond common crime, with accusations of political assassinations, and it is now shifting its focus toward the United States.

According to a U.S. Army leak, Tren de Aragua has launched attacks on U.S. military facilities, including surveillance of bases such as Lackland Air Force Base and Fort Sam Houston in Texas. These incidents resemble probing attacks — testing defenses, identifying weak spots, and preparing for something more dangerous. The gang has also collaborated with Cuban nationals at the largest oil field in America: the Permian Basin. Its targets go beyond military installations — it's focusing on America's economic lifeline.

The extent of this network is even more alarming. A leak obtained by James O’Keefe revealed a detailed map showing Tren de Aragua operating across cities and states nationwide. It's not confined to border towns; its presence stretches throughout the country. This is a "red button" waiting to be pressed, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s fully triggered.

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas recently designated Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization, according to reports. The U.S. Army leak confirmed this gang's connections to groups like Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other international terror networks. This connection makes Tren de Aragua more than just a criminal gang; it is part of a broader, well-organized network that includes some of the world’s most dangerous people. These links, especially between Iran, Venezuela, and their proxies — like Hezbollah — are shifting from criminal operations to acts of urban terrorism within the U.S., further justifying the designation.

Over the past four years, the southern border has become a revolving door for immigrants from Central and South America, many coming from countries controlled by hostile regimes. Did Biden and Harris give our enemies a first-strike opportunity by opening the border and letting this threat grow? Whether intentional or not, their administration has allowed hostile regimes to infiltrate our borders and build a criminal network capable of striking at any moment. What we’ve seen so far appears to be just “trial runs.”

This isn’t just policy failure — it’s asymmetric warfare against the United States. Our enemies are exploiting our weaknesses, using our own systems and laws against us. If we don’t act now, the consequences could be catastrophic — and Donald Trump aims to prevent that. He recently proposed mass deportation as a solution to the escalating border crisis, starting with criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua. Trump’s plan would help us regain control of our borders and root out the enemies embedded in our communities, making it a national security imperative.

In a world where wars are no longer fought solely on battlefields, we must acknowledge that our enemies are already within our borders. The Biden administration’s failure to secure the southern border has put every American at risk, allowing the “red button” to be assembled on our soil, waiting to be activated against the American people. We must dismantle it before it’s too late.

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