A group of Tren de Aragua gang members, some as young as 11 years old, are exploiting the hospitality of a taxpayer-funded shelter at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City while terrorizing Times Square with brazen robberies. Despite their escalating crimes, which now include armed robberies and attacks with knives, the gang has largely managed to avoid serious legal consequences due to their age and the state’s lenient treatment of juvenile offenders, according to a report by the New York Post.
The gang, which refers to themselves as “Los Diablos de la 42” (Little Devils of 42nd Street), consists of roughly 21 members and has become a growing concern for law enforcement in New York City. Assistant Chief Jason Savino, of the NYPD Detective Bureau, detailed the group’s rise from petty crimes like purse snatching to more violent offenses, such as strong-armed robberies and armed assaults. “They’ve committed over 50 robberies in some of New York’s most iconic areas—Central Park, Times Square, and on public transit,” Savino said. “But due to their age and New York’s lenient policies toward juvenile offenders, none of them are in jail.”
In New York City now…20 Venezuelan gang members