Venezuelan gangs getting away scot-free, NYPD says: ‘Every single one of them is on the streets today’

New York Police Department Detective Bureau Assistant Chief Jason Savino warned that young and violent members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua are not facing any real consequences for their criminal actions in the Big Apple.

During a Tuesday interview with WNYW, Savino explained that the transnational gang has a significant presence in the Times Square area, particularly around the former Roosevelt Hotel turned immigrant shelter. He warned that the violent group has even started recruiting children.

‘It’s a product of bail reform.’

Savino stated that the police department is aware that the group has gotten its hands on many firearms, as evidenced by photographs posted online by alleged gang members.

He described TDA as “tremendously brazen” and “absolutely ruthless.”

“Individuals … have committed a multitude of crimes with basically no repercussions,” Savino told WNYW.

The assistant chief explained that in the New York City area, the group started out as a robbery crew.

“Twenty individuals arrested for upwards of 50 robberies,” Savino said. “And out of those 20 individuals, every single one of them is on the streets today.”

According to Savino, the young gang members are not facing consequences because of their age and bail reforms.

“We put a lot on our DA [Alvin Bragg]; we have to look at our judges as well,” he added.

As the gang has continued to establish itself in the city, its recruiting process has become more organized, he added.

“Formerly, it was kind of scattered all over the place,” Savino said of TDA’s recruiting efforts. “But now we’re seeing that structure where there’s actually kick-ups where people are recruiting these young members — as young as 11, and they’ve been described in some of these robbery incidents as young as eight years old.”

Savino is deeply concerned there will soon be a gang war because the TDA subset in Times Square, which refers to itself as “Los Diablos de la 42” or “Little Devils on 42nd Street,” has “called out” the Latin Kings, one of the city’s most notorious gang.

“It’s a recipe for potential disaster,” Savino told WNYW.

He told the New York Post that the gang is communicating with one another using group chats “on their government-issued phones.”

“It’s a product of bail reform,” Savino added. “We tried to try some in criminal court, somewhat unsuccessfully.”

Bragg’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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