Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday said Texas troopers arrested four members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang after they crossed into South Texas from Mexico.
Abbott says Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on Dec. 31 encountered the four members of the Venezuelan-based trans criminal organization in Val Verde County, outside Del Rio, Texas.
They were part of a group of 22 undocumented migrants that DPS encountered who were from Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.
Eleven of the 22 encountered were arrested and charged with criminal trespass. Family groups were referred to U.S. Border Patrol for processing.
Nine of the 11 were from Venezuela and during interviews, and based on tattoos they had, law enforcement suspected four men were part of Tren de Aragua. Abbott said searches of their cellphones verified their gang affiliation through social media apps.
“Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Tren de Aragua,” Abbott said in a statement. “I designated TdA (Tren de Aragua) as a foreign terrorist organization, and we will not tolerate this gang operating or gaining a foothold in Texas.”
