Federal agents have arrested 44 people on Kauai for allegedly violating U.S. immigration law, including two “suspected associates” of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, after serving warrants at six homes and one business, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Agents with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigative Division, and other federal partners contributed to the execution of six federal search warrants at residences and one business on Kauai, according to a statement to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“A total of 44 arrests were made including two suspected associates of the foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua,”officials said.
Kauai County Council member Fern Anuenue Holland posted a video on her social media feeds describing what she saw in her upper Kapahi neighborhood along Kaapuni Road.
Holland told her followers that she can “confirm there was an ICE operation” Wednesday on Kauai. The sound of a helicopter about 4 a.m. alerted her to the operation.
She went outside and saw white passenger vans and about 15 total vehicles being used by law enforcement. Holland identified herself to an agent at the scene, who she described as respectful, and said she was going to observe.
“There were a lot of officers,” she said in her report posted online. At one point she heard two explosions.
“Somebody was not coming out,” said Holland who noted that she saw no signs of “violence or aggression” by the federal officers, many of whom were wearing HSI insignia visible on their tactical gear.
At one point she counted 12 to 15 people handcuffed and sitting on the side of the road, she said.
The operation lasted more than two hours and agents could be heard shouting through a megaphone, “federal warrant, come out with your hands up” repeatedly in English and Spanish, said Holland.
“I do appreciate the two agents I spoke with. They were respectful and responsive … that was helpful,” said Holland, urging patience and calm in the wake of the operations. “From everything that I saw, everybody was professional, nobody was harmed. I would like everybody to please stay calm. … Allow us some time to get answers.”
Holland said she reached out to the staff of Gov. Josh Green, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda.
Kauai Indivisible received notification several days ago that vehicles were being transported by barge to Kauai and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity might occur on the island, Margie Merryman, group leader, told the Star-Advertiser.
“Because our organization has been preparing for such an event, we promptly activated our emergency notification system to ensure our community networks were informed and ready to respond appropriately. Within ten minutes of our alert, we received confirmation that this was a targeted federal operation and that there was no threat to the broader community. Based on the subsequent press release, that information appears to have been accurate,” said Merryman.
Over 110 people have been arrested in Hawaii between January and June on suspicion of violating U.S. immigration law. When asked about the total number of immigration arrests in Hawaii this year, officials said because of the lapse in government funding, DHS is not “able to provide updated numbers at this time.”
President Donald Trump has alleged that Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. designated a terrorist group in February, is being controlled by Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro’s government in Caracas denies the allegations.
Homeland Security Investigations said the group is the largest “transnational criminal organization (TCO)” operating in Venezuela. Its criminal activities include extortion, kidnapping, homicide, vehicle theft, and the trafficking of contraband, arms, drugs, and human beings, according to HSI.
“TdA evolved from Venezuela’s most powerful prison gang into a TCO, which has an increasingly expansive reach and is well known for their acts of violence,” according to HSI.
Hawaii is a state with an “identified TdA presence,” according to HSI.
The organization’s history dates to 2005 in Venezuela’s Aragua State, when a group of construction workers were hired to protect a railway project.
The 44 arrests is the largest operation confirmed since federal agents arrested 50 people in May on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island for violating immigration laws due to convictions for crimes including murder, domestic violence and drug possession.
DHS and the U.S. Department of Justice are collaborating on targeted enforcement operations to investigate and arrest alleged violators of U.S. immigration law, Trump’s top domestic priority.
Kauai Indivisible is focused on “preparation, calm communication, and community education.”
“We invite the public to attend our Know Your Rights Training this Saturday, 9-11:30 a.m., at Hale Lihu‘e on Rice Street,” said Merryman, noting there was an option to join via Zoom.
The training will be led by immigration law attorney Jay Stansell, providing practical “guidance for residents, families, and allies.”
For details and registration, visit IndivisibleKauai.org.
Source: The Garden Island