Venezuelan dictator, Nicolas Maduro, is emptying prisons of violent criminals and sending them to the U.S. southern border. House Republicans are warning that this can put the U.S. in “grave danger.” 14 House republicans sent out a statement: “We write you with serious concern about a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence report received by Border Patrol that instructs agents to look for violent criminals from Venezuela among the migrant caravans heading towards the U.S.-Mexico border…” Another news source reported that DHS intelligence spotted prisoners within migrant caravans traveling from Mexico to the U.S. border. A source told the outlet that identifying Venezuelans with criminal records is extremely difficult. 

In a letter written by members of congress, it states that there have been more than 130,000 encounters with Venezuelans migrants between Oct. 2021 and July 2022. In August alone, there were 55,333 unique encounters from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicauragua, which was a 175 percent increase from last year. Lawmakers are requesting headcounts of how many encounters there have been with released prisoners and how many to expect. The DHS is also working on taking the proper precautions to prevent more criminals from entering. 

Prisoners are even going so far as to make videos telling the U.S. their plans. Law and Border Correspondent, Anthony Aguero, says that these videos are being uploaded to TikTok of prisoners saying, “In two years, the United States will no longer be recognizable.” These videos are also showing “two big buses with… their foot soldiers.” These people have been released from Venezuelan prisons and are on their way to the United States southern border.