Former president says Tren de Aragua gang member a ‘vile monster’
Trump focuses on migrant crime while addressing supporters in Wisconsin
Former President Trump spoke to supporters in Prairie du Chien, Wis., on Saturday, focusing on the arrest of a Tren de Aragua gang member accused of sex crimes.
President Trump chose the quaint town of Prairie du Chien as his latest campaign stop, turning the focus to the headline-grabbing arrest of a notorious gang member. Yes, you heard it—and probably saw it on every news outlet—a Tren de Aragua gang member has been up to no good and stirred quite the hornet’s nest in this peaceful community.
According to Trump, the rally had to be moved indoors because, wait for it, the Secret Service had a staffing shortage. But that didn’t stop Trump from delivering his powerful, albeit controversial, speech on migrant crime. This time, all eyes were on Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate, a 26-year-old Venezuelan gang member. If you missed it, Zarate was recently charged with a slew of horrifying crimes, including sexual assault and battery. Not to mention, false imprisonment and child abuse. Just your typical weekend headlines, right?
Apparently, Zarate took it upon himself to terrorize a mother and her daughter in their own home. And this isn’t just any run-of-the-mill bad guy. This is a member of the overly hyped Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua.
Trump didn’t hold back on what he thought of Zarate as he discussed the arrest during the rally. (Getty Images / Crawford County Jail)
In his fiery speech, Trump labeled Zarate as “a vile monster” and held nothing back. “Just this month, right here in this beautiful town, police arrested an illegal alien member of a savage Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren de Aragua,” Trump exclaimed. “These are really bad ones. This vile monster was charged with holding a mother and daughter captive against their will and sexually assaulting them—over and over and over again.”
And if you think he’d stop there, think again. Trump didn’t waste the chance to take aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, slamming her border policies. “This animal crossed Kamala’s wide open border, along with hundreds of thousands of others that are worse than him.” He continued, adding fuel to the fire, “He was arrested and released in the sanctuary city of Minneapolis.”
Former President and Republican presidential candidate Trump delivers remarks amid cheers (or gasps?) at the Prairie du Chien Area Arts Center. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
And for the grand finale, Trump promised that sanctuary cities would be no more under his leadership. “I’m going to end all sanctuary cities immediately upon taking over,” he added triumphantly.
But it’s not just President Trump who has been vocal. Local political figures also pitched in their two cents. Representative Derrick Van Orden, a Republican from Wisconsin, painted a grim picture of the community’s current state. “Why should a town of 5,500 people be afraid of letting their kids play in their front yard?” he questioned. “It wasn’t like this three years ago.”
Van Orden acknowledged Wisconsin’s reliance on migrant labor for farming but emphasized the urgent need for immigration reform. The vibe in Prairie du Chien certainly isn’t what it used to be; this town’s innocence has been significantly marred by recent events.
Residents gather at sunrise, eagerly waiting (or maybe reluctantly?) for former President Trump’s rally in Prairie du Chien. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Van Orden’s frustrations became evident when he questioned the rationale behind current immigration processes. “I’ve been to the border three times….They let a guy in the country with gang tattoos,” he stated incredulously. It’s no secret that America’s border policies have been under severe scrutiny, and this event only adds weight to the debate.
In summary, Trump’s visit to Prairie du Chien was more than a campaign stop; it was a call to action against perceived border failures and rising crime. It was, in every sense, a return to his roots of law and order rhetoric. Will it resonate with the broader public? Only time will tell.
