Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said his office and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) are aware of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua’s “presence” within the city; however, he refused to provide specific information regarding arrests or activity related to the gang.
On Tuesday, O’Connell was pressed by Fox 17 reporter Kylie Walker on his knowledge of the Venezuelan gang’s presence in Nashville after a member of the same gang was arrested in Hamilton County on human trafficking charges the day prior.
O’Connell said, “What I will say is [MNPD] Chief Drake has advised us, I mean even before the TBI report, we knew they were active in Tennessee. MNPD has a very active and successful gang unit and they have continually monitored that activity.”
“I know that MNPD is aware of their presence in Tennessee and they’re monitoring what the situation looks like in Nashville,” the mayor added, not providing specific information on arrests or other intelligence.
Monday’s arrest of the Tren de Aragua gang member comes after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) publicly revealed earlier this month that the Venezuelan gang is present in all of Tennessee’s “major cities” and warned the group is engaged in human trafficking, organized retail theft, and drug trafficking nationwide.
TBI Communications Director Josh DeVine told The Tennessee Star that the first crime the bureau connected to Tren de Aragua was a human trafficking case in 2023 and that the gang is currently mostly engaged in human trafficking within Tennessee.
Tren de Aragua’s presence in Nashville was confirmed earlier this year when a member of the gang was arrested on charges related to the trafficking of Hispanic female migrants for commercial sex in Nashville.
Human trafficking, according to TBI, is the second-fastest growing criminal industry behind drug trafficking.
TBI’s 2023 Human Trafficking Statistical Report showed that there was a 461 percent increase in the number of hotline calls and tips received by the bureau’s human trafficking team between 2016 and 2023.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Kylie Walker FOX17.
