Articles by Tom Weitzel

For more than a year, many Chicago-area news outlets questioned whether Tren de Aragua had a real presence in Chicago or Illinois, often suggesting concerns about the gang were politically motivated. Now, court records, federal investigations, criminal prosecutions and guilty pleas have documented defendants prosecutors identified as having connections to the gang. Retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel argues that journalism must follow the evidence, even when the facts challenge a preferred political narrative.