Second alleged Venezuelan gang member arrested in Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A second suspected member of a Venezuelan gang has been arrested this month in Michigan.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol says agents arrested a man believed to be a member of Tren de Aragua in Macomb County last week. The 30-year-old was taken into custody during a traffic stop. The vehicle was reportedly stopped because it had a fake license plate.

Suspected Venezuelan gangster arrested by ICE in Traverse City

Local police contacted CBP when they realized there were three undocumented men in the car. One of the men was known to have connections with Tren de Aragua, a gang that formed in Venezuela’s prison system and is now considered a foreign terrorist organization.

Since 2023, the 30-year-old has also reportedly been charged with multiple crimes in the U.S., including weapons violations and robbery.

“The arrest of this Tren de Aragua gang member, who has a history of firearms and other criminal charges and was wanted on an active warrant out of Denver, Colorado for Failure to Appear, removes another dangerous criminal illegal alien from our country and enhances public safety,” Detroit Sector Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris said in a statement.

Another suspected member of Tren de Aragua, a 25-year-old named Kleiber Siso Balza, was arrested on July 4 in Traverse City. He had active warrants in Virginia and Florida.

“These cases highlight the critical value of interagency cooperation in removing these criminal threats from our communities,” Morris stated.

ICE claims Tren de Aragua is known to “engage in sex trafficking, debt bondage, drug trafficking and murder to advance their interests.”

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