Venezuelan gang members known as the “Little Devils” have been repeatedly arrested by New York police — over 240 times — but are continually released without consequences, according to NYPD Assistant Chief Jason Savino. The gang, formally identified as Los Diablos de 42, operates under the umbrella of the infamous Venezuelan criminal network Tren de Aragua.
Speaking at a press briefing, Savino stated that officers have taken 37 members of this group into custody on numerous occasions. “Of those 37, we have over 240 arrests of those 37 individuals. That’s almost six [arrests] apiece,” Savino emphasized.
He also raised concerns about the gang’s strategic exploitation of minors to evade prosecution. “Now, we’re seeing that structure. There’s actually kick-ups where people are recruiting these younger members as young as 11, and they’ve been described as some of these robbery incidents as young as 8-years-old,” Savino explained.
The numbers stunned New York Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, who condemned the situation and highlighted the immigration status of those involved. “All are here illegally” and “none turned over for deportation despite hundreds of arrests and releases,” she noted, expressing frustration with the lack of federal enforcement.
The issue gained wider attention following a bold attack on police officers in Times Square carried out by members of this same gang. The violent confrontation unfolded in public view, shocking both authorities and bystanders.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the incident as a coordinated and deliberate assault. “The officers were targeted in a ‘wolfpack-style robbery’ and were ‘ambushed, pelted with scooters, basketballs and other makeshift weapons. This was a targeted attack,’” according to CBS News.
Mayor Eric Adams did not mince words when addressing the assault. “When someone openly assaults a police officer, you are attacking our symbol of safety, and it cannot be tolerated,” Adams declared.
Authorities credited their quick response and suspect identification to the NYPD’s gang database, which has been a key tool in tracking and monitoring violent gang activity across the city.
Despite this, a growing number of city officials and immigrant advocates are pushing for the elimination of the database, claiming it is discriminatory and lacks due process.
Among them is Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, who has long argued that the tool is abused by law enforcement. He called it “a tool of harassment.”
Matthew Brodwith, an activist with the Legal Aid Society, went even further, denouncing the database outright. He labeled it a “racist tool” that “disproportionately targets young people of color with little to no evidence of criminal involvement.”
{Matzav.com}