A violent ambush on NYPD officers in Times Square last week has been linked to a teenage gang of illegal migrants known as “Los Diablos 42,” a subset of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua. Police officials revealed that the attack, which unfolded around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3rd near 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, involved a group of nearly a dozen young individuals who attempted to rob multiple victims before turning on officers with makeshift weapons, including metal objects, scooters, umbrellas, and basketballs.
Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with the assault, and NYPD officials confirmed that several of those taken into custody were repeat offenders. The suspects, all between the ages of 12 and 19, are believed to be part of the growing gang presence in Times Square. Police are still searching for at least three more individuals tied to the incident.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the attack as deliberate and organized. “This is not low-level crime, this is organized crime,” she emphasized. Tisch credited the department’s controversial gang database for enabling swift arrests, noting that several suspects were listed in the system. “This database is one of the most critical tools that we have to protect our cops and to protect our communities,” she added. “It helped us identify who they were, who they ran with, and what they were tied to.”
The NYPD’s Detective Bureau has tracked Tren de Aragua’s expansion across New York City, with the “Little Devils of 42nd Street” operating openly in Times Square. Assistant Chief Jason Savino detailed the group’s tactics, warning that the gang recruits children as young as 8 years old to carry out crimes. “Now, we’re seeing that structure,” he explained. “There’s actually kick-ups where people are recruiting these younger members as young as 11, and they’ve been described as some of these robbery incidents as young as 8-years-old.”
The NYPD reports that the Los Diablos 42 crew includes 37 known members linked to more than 240 arrests, some with multiple offenses each. Investigations are ongoing as police coordinate with federal agencies to address the rising threat posed by the gang.
