Politics — Migration

How Gang Violence Drives Migration To The U.S.

The Dark Triad of Latin American Gangs

Martin Knapp
5 min readJul 8, 2024

--

Its important to note, this article is about the people who control and cause mass migration from Latin America, not about the migrants themselves.
When it comes to migration from Latin America to the United States, the roles of violent gangs can’t be glossed over as they often are. They are mostly used as sound bites for political campaigns — but few people really have a look under the hood to see how this mechanism runs. Mostly because its ugly.

When it comes to Latin American gangs driving migration to the U.S., there are three one needs to have a better understanding of. Tren de Aragua from Venezuela, MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha), and Barrio 18 (18th Street Gang) stand out for their brutality and pervasive control over local populations. These gangs create environments of fear and instability, pushing thousands to flee their homes in search of safety and a better life in the United States.

The Rise of Tren de Aragua

As we watch Venezuela almost purposefully become a failed state, the only organization doing better than the dictators tearing the country apart, is a gang known as Tren de Aragua. Translated as “the Aragua…

--

--

Martin Knapp
Martin Knapp

Written by Martin Knapp

I write about economics, geopolitics, and conflict. Short posts on X @GeoPoliticaMK My fiction author site: https://www.edwardgye.com/