Governor Bill Lee pledges support for TBI and endorses federal efforts to combat gang’s resurgence amid concerns over human trafficking and escalating violence.
The violent Venezuelan gang Tren De Aragua (TDA) is operating in every major city in Tennessee, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director David Rausch informed Gov. Bill Lee during a budget hearing this week.
Rausch revealed that TDA has reemerged in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga—the state’s four largest cities—after first being detected two years ago during a human trafficking operation.
“We uncovered a group here in a human trafficking operation, and in that operation we recognized a number of the members here trafficking females that they had abducted from Venezuela and brought here,” Rausch said.
Following initial arrests, many gang members fled the state, but they have since returned.
“Now what we are seeing is they are back,” Rausch told the governor. “They are running human trafficking operations. That’s where they start.”
Rausch explained that TDA typically begins with human trafficking, then moves into organized retail theft, and eventually engages in drug trafficking, often confronting other criminal organizations like cartels.
“They have a pathway of violence, and we want people to be aware of that,” he said. “They will battle for the drug trafficking in communities.”
The gang is known for extreme violence and disregard for law enforcement.
“They are very violent toward policing—they have no respect for law enforcement,” Rausch warned. “They will fight, and they will attack police.”
In response to the briefing, Lee acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and later addressed it publicly.
“The border crisis is exactly why Americans voted for change. It’s not political—it’s about safety and security,” Lee said in a post on X on Nov. 15. “Tennessee will support [President-Elect Donald Trump] as he secures our border while delivering key resources for [the TBI] to stop illegal criminals from operating in our state.”
On Friday, Nov. 15, Rausch released a video providing more details on TDA’s activities in Tennessee.
“We are concerned,” he said, noting that while the public doesn’t need to “watch outside their homes,” awareness is crucial.
By Chase Smith
