Peru’s Clashes With Venezuelan Crime Gang Raise Concerns in US

Peru’s recent clashes with a Venezuelan gang highlight regional fears of increased crime amid the ongoing migration crisis. At the same time, anti-Venezuelan sentiment is on the rise in the Americas. Venezuelans are an easy group to hide criminals within since they’re the largest refugee wave ever to hit Latin America. And within the millions pouring across multiple borders are crime syndicates with “constant opportunities” to expand their network, according to one analysis by Insight Crime. This year, Venezuelans became the dominant nationality of illegal immigrants to enter the United States. U.S. border agents apprehended almost 335,000 Venezuelan illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2023—almost double from the previous year. By contrast, border agents apprehended 4,520 Venezuelans in fiscal year 2020....