A member of the Venezuelan gang "Tren de Aragua" has been arrested in Houston after attempting to recruit middle school students into a criminal network. Authorities identified Jorgenys Robertson Cova, a 32yearold Venezuelan migrant with a criminal background, as the suspect. He allegedly targeted students at Jane Long Academy and Las Americas to participate in a largescale shoplifting ring. Cova was reportedly seeking to exploit the legal system’s leniency toward minors, a tactic reminiscent of methods used by drug cartels.

Cova, who illegally entered the U.S. in 2022, has a history of theft and gang activity, which includes leading shoplifting crews across Texas and Arizona. This case has raised alarms about the growing influence of foreign gangs in the U.S., particularly amid concerns over the nation’s southern border security​

This incident underscores broader concerns about the recruitment of minors by criminal organizations and the porous state of immigration enforcement.

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