“Los Diablos 42,” a teen gang of illegal immigrants and a subset of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, has been connected to a violent attack on NYPD officers in Times Square last week. According to police sources, the assault occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3rd, near 42nd Street and 8th Avenue. It involved a group of nearly a dozen young people who attempted to rob several victims before turning on officers with makeshift weapons such as basketballs, scooters, umbrellas, and metal objects.
NYPD officials confirmed that several of those arrested in connection with the attack—five teenagers—were repeat offenders. All the suspects are between the ages of 12 and 19 and are believed to be part of the growing gang presence in Times Square. Authorities are still searching for at least three more individuals connected to the incident.
According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the attack was planned and deliberate. “This is not low-level crime, this is organized crime,” she stated. Tisch praised the department’s controversial gang database for enabling swift arrests, noting that several suspects were already listed in the system. She continued, “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 “Little Devils of 42nd Street,” operating openly in Times Square, has been tracked by the NYPD’s Detective Bureau as it expands across New York City. Assistant Chief Jason Savino described the gang’s strategies, warning that they use children as young as 8 years old to commit crimes. “Now, we’re seeing that structure. 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,” he said.
According to the NYPD, the Los Diablos 42 crew has 37 known members who have been involved in over 240 arrests, some with multiple charges. Police are working with federal authorities to combat the growing threat posed by the gang, and the investigation remains ongoing.
