DHS claims man detained in Elgin is member of Tren de Aragua

The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that the man they arrested after a long Stop In Elgin on Saturday, where officers sprayed tear gas at protesters, was a “suspected member of the Tren de Aragua,” a Venezuelan street gang.

Federal authorities identified the man like Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, of Venezuela, who entered the country in April 2023 and was granted temporary protected status, DHS said in a press release.

Asked about evidence of Acosta Gutierrez’s alleged affiliation with the Tren de Aragua gang, a man designated by the United States foreign terrorist group As of this year, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said, “DHS intelligence assessments go well beyond just gang member tattoos and social media. »

“Tren De Aragua is one of the most violent and ruthless terrorist gangs on planet Earth,” McLaughlin said. “We trust our law enforcement’s intelligence, and we are not going to share intelligence reports and compromise national security every time a gang member denies being one. That would be insane.”

Records show Acosta paid a traffic violation fine in 2023 for driving without a license and the case was closed in April 2024, according to McHenry County Court.

Federal authorities said Acosta Gutierrez resisted arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Saturday while they were conducting a vehicle stop, and rammed an agent’s vehicle into a tree. He then barricaded himself in an apartment while agents tried to negotiate with him to leave, according to DHS.

Around 10 a.m., about 15 officers showed up to arrest a man authorities identified as Acosta Gutierrez at an apartment building in the 1600 block of Maple Lane in Elgin. Elgin police said there was a traffic accident that morning involving a federal agent and the man, who then fled toward the building..

The crowd grew to at least 200 people who whistled and shouted at the officers to leave. Around 2:30 p.m., around thirty agents were trying to negotiate with the man who was still on the second floor balcony.

DHS, which claimed people threw rocks and bottles at law enforcement, also claimed that “the local police department refused to protect ICE law enforcement officers.” Hours later, Acosta Gutierrez was arrested by ICE agents, according to DHS.

“We are grateful that all of our officers are safe after another vehicle was used as a weapon against them and other rioters threw rocks and bottles at them,” McLaughlin said. “Our officers are experiencing a more than 1,150% increase in attacks on them as they risk their lives to arrest the worst of the worst illegal alien criminals. This violence against law enforcement must stop.”

As they drove away Saturday, federal agents called pepper spray and flash-bang grenades on the crowd. An officer told community members, “Rescue or gas will be deployed,” seconds before throwing a canister, video shows. After the arrest, videos taken by a witness at the scene showed people throwing snowballs at the officers and their vehicles, while others yelled at them to stop, the Tribune reported.

State Rep. Anna Moeller, a Democrat whose district includes Elgin, was at the scene Saturday with her husband. She said she was concerned about how tear gas was thrown indiscriminately as officers left.

“They didn’t need to do that. ICE was leaving the scene. What they did was create chaos and discomfort. Who trains law enforcement to do that?” Moeller said.

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain denounced ICE tactics in Elgin in a Facebook video shared over the weekend and called on people to come together as a community to “solve this problem”.

“It disheartens me, it disgusts me, the actions of the federal agents who came to our city,” Kaptain said. “This city was founded on diversity, self-respect and mutual respect among our residents. The people at ICE have not shown that respect to this community and it really makes me angry.”

Elgin Deputy City Manager Karina Nava said city staff are looking into DHS allegations Saturday regarding the police department’s alleged inaction in Elgin and will issue a statement.

At an unrelated news conference Monday, Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the activity of federal immigration agents over the weekend and said he had not yet received news of increased DHS enforcement in Chicago.

“I’ve seen these reports, and they are just as horrific as they have been during (President Donald) Trump’s reign this season,” Johnson told reporters. “As far as specific information about what their activities might be or will be, none of that has crossed my desk. I can tell you, however, that we are in a constant state of preparation. We know that at some point the Trump administration is going to redouble its efforts or continue its efforts to terrorize cities across America.”

This is not the first time federal authorities say they have arrested members of the gang, which originated in a Venezuelan prison. Trump declared it a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year, reflecting his administration’s focus on deporting its members to the United States.

In September, a controversial raid at 7500 S. South Shore Drive in Chicago was presented as an attempt to illegally arrest known members of the Tren de Aragua gang and their associates in the country. The Tribune reported exclusively that no public criminal charges have been filed against anyone in connection with the raid.

Alice Yin and Madeline Buckley of the Chicago Tribune and freelancer Mike Danahey contributed.