Governor Greg Abbott (R) formally declared the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua a “foreign terrorist organization” at a press conference on Monday, a move that comes after more than 100 members of the gang violently forced their way across the border earlier this year.
Tren de Aragua has repeatedly made headlines this year after allegations that gang members took over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, as well as a historic hotel in downtown El Paso.
The gang is known for violent illegal activities including murder, smuggling drugs and people, and extortion, according to authorities.
“The recent entry and expansion of the vicious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, is a dangerous and deadly problem facing our state and nation,” Abbott said.
The governor also announced a statewide operation to aggressively target the Venezuelan gang.
Texas’ plan would involve a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for Tren de Aragua members who smuggle people into Texas. The plan would also create a database to track gang members.
“Our goal is to defend Texas from the growing threat of the gang. We will not let them use Texas as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens. They have a target on their back, and we are going after them. Texas is the wrong state for them to try to do business in,” the governor said.
The governor also revealed that back in March, more than 100 suspected gang members were part of the group that violently forced their way across the border.
“Earlier this year, more than 100 suspected TdA members were arrested after the riots at the El Paso border, when immigrants assaulted the Texas National Guard,” Abbott said.
During the chaos, which was caught on video, hundreds of migrants pushed past razor wire barriers, knocking border troops in the process, with one migrant even stomping on a National Guard member’s knee.
Hundreds of those migrants had the charges against them dismissed, and dozens were allowed to go free.
Since then, members of Tren de Aragua have popped up all over the country, including allegedly robbing jewelry stores in Colorado and shooting two cops in New York.
The migrant accused of shooting two NYPD officers in Queens entered the country illegally last year, had his asylum case dismissed by the Biden administration, and then was apparently recruited by the gang.
Former President Donald Trump has made illegal migrant criminals a major theme of his presidential campaign this election cycle. He has accused the Biden-Harris administration of allowing dangerous criminals into the U.S., including some from prisons in places like Venezuela.
Trump has promised to launch a massive deportation operation targ
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