The Gangs To Worry About In Every US State

"The Trump administration has made headlines in recent weeks for deporting men from Venezuela to an extremely harsh prison facility in El Salvador. President Trump has claimed the men deported were linked to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang he suggested was connected to President Nicolás Maduro. However, a May 2025 memo published by the New York Times and verified by press freedom groups disputes this, confirming that Tren de Aragua operates independently and has no formal ties to the Venezuelan government."

"To determine the recognized gangs in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed World Population Review's "Gangs by State" report. World Population review is a data-driven site that provides current and historical population figures, along with other related statistics. We ordered the states alphabetically and included a list of the recognized gangs in each state, as well as each state's population, poverty rate, and labor force participation."

"June 2025: U.S. ICE reported deportations of over 100 Venezuelan nationals suspected of gang ties, with many sent to El Salvador's high-security prison facilities. July 2025: FBI Director testified before Congress that Tren de Aragua's expansion into at least 10 states poses a "priority-level" organized crime threat alongside MS-13. This post was updated October 2nd, 2025 to reflect the recently released memo on Tren de Aragua, and recent statements by the FBI."

U.S. authorities deported Venezuelan nationals suspected of gang ties to high-security prisons in El Salvador. Claims linked some deportees to Tren de Aragua and suggested connections to Nicolás Maduro, but press freedom groups verified Tren de Aragua operates independently with no formal Venezuelan government ties. Tren de Aragua expanded into at least ten U.S. states, including New York, Texas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Arizona, and Maryland, increasing challenges for law enforcement. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed World Population Review's 'Gangs by State' data and listed recognized gangs for each state along with population, poverty rate, and labor force participation metrics.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.