A representative for the DEA Rocky Mountain Division confirmed with Fox News statements by DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz on local outlet Denver 7, in which Maltz said Colorado is "ground zero for some of the most violent criminals in America," including Tren de Aragua’s leadership.
Tren de Aragua — also known by its acronym "TdA" — is a violent Venezuelan criminal group that has been linked to some of the most egregious crimes in America in recent years, including the murder of nursing student Laken Riley and the capturing of an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the State Department to designate TdA a "foreign terrorist organization."
