Venezuelan Gang Launches Wild Attack On NYPD

godongphoto

Eleven teens allegedly tied to Venezuela’s brutal Tren de Aragua gang swarmed and attacked two NYPD officers in Times Square Friday night, launching glass bottles, rocks, and even scooters in a shocking burst of violence just blocks from a major boxing event.

Five of the suspects, all illegal aliens, have been arrested so far. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the assault “targeted, deliberate, and planned,” confirming it was carried out by members of a known gang subset called “Los Diablos de 42.” According to Tisch, most were already flagged in the city’s gang database — a tool the City Council is currently attempting to dismantle.

The youngest suspect is just 12 years old. One 16-year-old repeat offender is facing riot and assault charges as an adult. Two others were picked up by their migrant parents. At least six more attackers remain at large.

“This is not low-level crime,” Tisch said at a press conference. “It’s organized violence carried out by gang members that we’ve already taken off the streets for preying on New Yorkers — and now they’re back, ambushing cops in the middle of Times Square.”

The incident began when NYPD foot patrol officers responded to what they believed was a group robbery in progress. When officers intervened, they were met with a barrage of projectiles in what Tisch described as a “wolfpack-style” ambush.

A video widely circulated online shows the attackers taunting the officers while wearing masks and hoodies, with one youth giving the middle finger to the camera.

So far, five teens have been charged — including one 17-year-old facing attempted assault on a peace officer and criminal possession of a weapon. The only adult suspect, Yeferxon Jose Mijares Hernandez, 19, faces riot and assault charges.

Mayor Eric Adams slammed the attack as an assault on public order itself. “When someone openly assaults a police officer, you are attacking our symbol of safety, and it cannot be tolerated,” he said.

Adams also turned fire on city officials, blasting the City Council for trying to abolish the very gang-tracking system that helped police quickly identify the suspects. “This is a system failure,” he said. “It’s what happens when repeat offenders are allowed to cycle through arrest after arrest without real consequences.”

Tisch echoed that frustration, calling it “madness” that city leaders were trying to kill the gang database. “We need our City Council to stop legislating against our cops and start legislating public safety,” she said.

Tricia McLaughlin from the Department of Homeland Security promised swift action: “@DHSgov and our law enforcement partners will hunt down these cowards,” she posted. “Secretary Noem will not stand idly by.”

Border Czar Tom Homan blamed sanctuary policies for emboldening criminals like these. “If you’re brazen enough to attack an armed law enforcement officer, you’re much more dangerous to an unarmed civilian,” he said on Fox News. “We’re coming for them.”

Tensions were further inflamed when Adams noted the media silence around a Harlem grandmother who was killed by a stray bullet. “Do these innocent people matter?” he asked. “If an inmate dies at Rikers, they trip over themselves to report it.”

Authorities say the Tren de Aragua gang — now with roots in at least a dozen U.S. states — has been behind a rise in violent crimes, particularly among migrant teens. A recent DOJ indictment even labeled a high-ranking member as a foreign terrorist.

For now, NYPD is hunting the remaining suspects, but officers and city leaders alike say this wasn’t just a one-off assault — it’s a glimpse into a growing problem being fueled by weak laws, open borders, and political cowardice.